{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,2]],"date-time":"2026-07-02T09:05:05Z","timestamp":1782983105136,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,10]],"date-time":"2024-06-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1717977600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Neurol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title><jats:p>Evaluate safety and effectiveness of thermal radiofrequency in the musculocutaneous nerve in patients with focal elbow flexor spasticity.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Design<\/jats:title><jats:p>Ambispective observational follow-up study. Patients with focal spasticity secondary to central nervous system injury with elbow flexor pattern who received thermal radiofrequency treatment in the musculocutaneous nerve between 2021 and 2023 were included.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Subjects<\/jats:title><jats:p>12 patients.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>Ultrasound-guided thermal radiofrequency was applied to the musculocutaneous nerve at 80\u00b0C for 90\u2009s. Effectiveness was assessed prior to thermal radiofrequency and at 6 months using scales to measure pain (VAS), spasticity (MAS), disability (DAS), quality of life (SQol-6D), patient-perceived and physician-perceived satisfaction (PIG-C, PGA), and goal attainment (GAS). Elbow joint range of motion was evaluated via goniometry. Safety was evaluated by assessing side effects.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Patients had statistically significant improvements in spasticity (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u20090.003), severe elbow flexion (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u20090.02), pain (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u20090.046), functioning (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009&amp;lt;\u20090.05), and spasticity-related quality of life (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009&amp;lt;\u20090.05 in three sections). Furthermore, treatment goals were attained. Patient- and physician-perceived clinical improvement was achieved. Regarding side effects, two patients had dysesthesia that was self-limiting, with maximum duration of 1 month.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>Thermal radiofrequency in the musculocutaneous nerve can be a safe, effective treatment for patients with severe spasticity with an elbow flexor pattern.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fneur.2024.1369947","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,11]],"date-time":"2024-06-11T16:52:58Z","timestamp":1718124778000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Safety and effectiveness of thermal radiofrequency applied to the musculocutaneous nerve for patients with spasticity"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Sergio","family":"Otero-Villaverde","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jacobo","family":"Formigo-Couceiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rosa","family":"Martin-Mourelle","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Antonio","family":"Montoto-Marques","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1303","DOI":"10.1212\/WNL.30.12.1303","article-title":"The control of muscle tone, reflexes, and movement: Robert Wartenberg 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