Full range of treatment settings and their effects on radiofrequency heat lesion size

April 11, 2013, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. -- Changing the parameters used to deliver radiofrequency (RF) treatment greatly affects the size of the resulting heat lesion, researchers reported today in a study expected to deliver greater precision and more treatment options in interventional pain management. Results were presented at the 29th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine.

This is the most comprehensive study of radiofrequency heat lesion size for pain management to date, said the study's lead author, Eric Cosman Jr., PhD, scientific director of Cosman Medical in Burlington, Mass. I hope these data suggest new and improved methods for physicians treating chronic pain syndromes.

Previous study in the field has tended to examine only a few parameters, leaving many questions unanswered. For instance, how does lesion size depend on active tip length, cannula diameter, set temperature and lesion time? What combination of those parameters can predictably and efficiently create lesions suited to the anatomical target? Are there lessons to be learned for placement technique? And, in general, how does one facilitate treatment and improve patient outcomes?