{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,5]],"date-time":"2026-09-05T02:37:37Z","timestamp":1788575857832,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"20","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,20]],"date-time":"2025-10-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1760918400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Lumbar facet joint degeneration is a common source of chronic low back pain. Radiofrequency (RF) ablation is widely used, whereas cryoablation (CA) remains less extensively investigated. Evidence directly comparing the long-term outcomes of these two modalities is scarce, particularly beyond 12 months. Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study analyzed patients with lumbar facet joint degeneration who underwent RF (n = 97) or CA (n = 83). Clinical data were retrieved from institutional records. Pain intensity (VAS), functional outcomes (ODI and RMDQ), and quality-of-life measures (EQ-5D and SF-36) were assessed at baseline and at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. The primary outcome was change in ODI; secondary outcomes included VAS, RMDQ, quality of life, and complications. Clinically meaningful improvement was defined according to Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID) and Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) thresholds. Results: Both RF and CA significantly improved pain and function compared with baseline. RF demonstrated superior reductions in ODI and VAS at 12 and 18 months (p &lt; 0.05); however, by 24 months, treatment effects had diminished, and no significant differences remained (p &gt; 0.05). Quality-of-life improvements plateaued after 18 months in both groups. Minor complications occurred in 9.3% of RF cases and 6.0% of CA cases; no major adverse events were observed. Conclusions: RF provided earlier and more pronounced benefits in pain and function up to 18 months, whereas both RF and CA showed reduced but comparable effectiveness at 24 months. These findings support RF as a preferred interventional option for robust short- to mid-term outcomes, with CA serving as a safe long-term alternative. However, the single-center retrospective design and potential observer bias limit generalizability. Future multicenter prospective studies are warranted.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm14207408","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,20]],"date-time":"2025-10-20T13:54:41Z","timestamp":1760968481000},"page":"7408","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Comparative Outcomes and Safety of Radiofrequency Ablation and Cryoablation for Lumbar Facet Joint Degeneration: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study with 24-Month Follow-Up"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Ahmet","family":"Yilmaz","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Ministr of Health Adana City Training & Research Hospital, 01370 Adana, Turkey"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2527-3510","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cagatay","family":"Kucukbingoz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ministr of Health Adana City Training & Research Hospital, 01370 Adana, Turkey"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1204","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(20)30925-9","article-title":"GBD 2019 Diseases and Injuries Collaborators. Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990\u20132019: A systematic analysis","volume":"396","author":"Vos","year":"2020","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2594","DOI":"10.1097\/00007632-199611150-00009","article-title":"The value of medical history and physical examination in diagnosing sacroiliac joint pain","volume":"21","author":"Dreyfuss","year":"1996","journal-title":"Spine (Phila Pa 1976)"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"E535","DOI":"10.36076\/ppj.2015\/18\/E535","article-title":"Epidemiology of facet joint pain","volume":"18","author":"Manchikanti","year":"2015","journal-title":"Pain Physician"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"335","DOI":"10.1097\/01.ajp.0000120792.69705.c9","article-title":"Radiofrequency denervation of lumbar facet joints in chronic low back pain: A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial","volume":"21","author":"Geurts","year":"2005","journal-title":"Clin. J. Pain"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"68","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2017.7918","article-title":"Effect of radiofrequency denervation on pain intensity among patients with chronic low back pain: The Mint randomized clinical trials","volume":"318","author":"Juch","year":"2017","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"ref_6","first-page":"899","article-title":"Long-term function, pain, and medication use outcomes of radiofrequency ablation for lumbar facet syndrome","volume":"18","author":"McCormick","year":"2017","journal-title":"Pain Med."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"424","DOI":"10.1136\/rapm-2019-101243","article-title":"Consensus practice guidelines on interventions for lumbar facet joint pain from a multispecialty, international working group","volume":"45","author":"Cohen","year":"2020","journal-title":"Reg. Anesth. Pain Med."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"493","DOI":"10.1007\/s00264-006-0208-6","article-title":"Percutaneous cryodenervation of lumbar facet joints: A prospective clinical trial","volume":"31","author":"Birkenmaier","year":"2007","journal-title":"Int. Orthop."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1011","DOI":"10.1007\/s00701-011-0966-9","article-title":"Cryoneurolysis for the treatment of lumbar facet joint pain: A prospective clinical study","volume":"153","author":"Wolter","year":"2011","journal-title":"Acta Neurochir."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"485","DOI":"10.4103\/ija.ija_154_22","article-title":"Efficacy of cryoneurolysis in the management of chronic non-cancer pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"66","author":"Goyal","year":"2022","journal-title":"Indian J. Anaesth."},{"key":"ref_11","first-page":"e79448","article-title":"Cryoneurolysis: A Comprehensive Review of Applications in Pain Management","volume":"17","author":"Shaikh","year":"2025","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"215","DOI":"10.1007\/s002560050503","article-title":"MR imaging and CT in osteoarthritis of the lumbar facet joints","volume":"28","author":"Weishaupt","year":"1999","journal-title":"Skelet. Radiol."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"524","DOI":"10.1097\/AJP.0b013e318074c99c","article-title":"A comparison of conventional and pulsed radiofrequency denervation in the treatment of chronic facet joint pain","volume":"23","author":"Tekin","year":"2007","journal-title":"Clin. J. Pain"},{"key":"ref_14","first-page":"100576","article-title":"Assessment of real-world, prospective outcomes in patients treated with lumbar radiofrequency ablation for chronic pain (RAPID)","volume":"4","author":"Provenzano","year":"2025","journal-title":"Interv. Pain Med."},{"key":"ref_15","first-page":"1243","article-title":"Radiofrequency ablation for chronic lumbar pain: Outcomes from a multicenter Italian cohort","volume":"16","author":"Bianco","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Pain Res."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"968","DOI":"10.1016\/j.spinee.2007.11.006","article-title":"Minimum clinically important difference in ODI, SF-36, and pain scales for lumbar spine patients","volume":"8","author":"Copay","year":"2008","journal-title":"Spine J."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Truong, K., Meier, K., Nikolajsen, L., van Tulder, M.W., S\u00f8rensen, J.C.H., and Rasmussen, M.M. (2021). Cryoneurolysis\u2019 outcome on pain experience (COPE) in patients with low-back pain: Study protocol for a single-blinded randomized controlled trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord, 22.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12891-021-04320-7"},{"key":"ref_18","first-page":"E519","article-title":"Percutaneous cryoneurolysis for the treatment of chronic pain: A prospective cohort study (n = 76)","volume":"21","author":"Foster","year":"2018","journal-title":"Pain Physician"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"75","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclinepi.2022.07.012","article-title":"Minimal important change was on the lower spectrum of previous estimates and responsiveness was sufficient for core outcomes in chronic low back pain","volume":"151","author":"Wigemyr","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Clin. Epidemiol."},{"key":"ref_20","first-page":"1220","article-title":"Responsiveness of ODI in chronic low back pain patients: Data from a large cohort","volume":"22","author":"Solberg","year":"2013","journal-title":"Eur. Spine J."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"902","DOI":"10.1093\/pm\/pnz248","article-title":"The Effectiveness of Radiofrequency Ablation of Medial Branch Nerves for Chronic Lumbar Facet Joint Syndrome in Patients Selected by Guideline-Concordant Dual Comparative Medial Branch Blocks","volume":"21","author":"Conger","year":"2020","journal-title":"Pain Med."},{"key":"ref_22","first-page":"1","article-title":"Evaluation on quality of life in patients with low back pain preoperatively and after undergoing cryoablation of the facet joints","volume":"1","author":"Ganev","year":"2020","journal-title":"Clin. Case Rep J."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"686","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pmrj.2012.06.007","article-title":"Success of initial and repeated medial branch neurotomy for zygapophysial joint pain: A systematic review","volume":"4","author":"Smuck","year":"2012","journal-title":"PM&R"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1526","DOI":"10.1302\/0301-620X.98B11.BJJ-2016-0379.R2","article-title":"Randomised sham-controlled double-blind multicentre clinical trial to ascertain the effect of percutaneous radiofrequency treatment for lumbar facet joint pain","volume":"98-B","author":"Stronks","year":"2016","journal-title":"Bone Joint J."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1352","DOI":"10.1097\/01.BRS.0000128263.67291.A0","article-title":"Complications of Lumbar Facet Radiofrequency Denervation","volume":"29","author":"Kornick","year":"2004","journal-title":"Spine"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4515","DOI":"10.1016\/j.radcr.2022.09.010","article-title":"Radiofrequency denervation and cryoablation of the lumbar zygapophysial joints in the treatment of positive lumbar facet joint syndrome - a report of three cases","volume":"17","author":"Sudzina","year":"2022","journal-title":"Radiol. Case Rep."}],"container-title":["Journal of Clinical Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/14\/20\/7408\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,29]],"date-time":"2025-10-29T06:15:39Z","timestamp":1761718539000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/14\/20\/7408"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,20]]},"references-count":26,"journal-issue":{"issue":"20","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10]]}},"alternative-id":["jcm14207408"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/jcm14207408","relation":{},"ISSN":["2077-0383"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2077-0383","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,20]]}}}