Abstract No. 265 Basivertebral Nerve Ablation for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain with Modic Changes in a Community Practice Setting: 12 Months Follow-Up

This study assessed the clinical outcomes of basivertebral nerve ablation as a therapeutic intervention for the management of vertebrogenic low back pain with associated Modic changes. We focused on evaluating the efficacy of this procedure in a community practice setting to determine its potential as a viable treatment option in such a setting. The procedure was performed using the INTRACEPT device (Relievant Medsystems, Edina, MN). Fifty-three patients have been enrolled, and 18 completed the SF-36 Physical Functioning, SF-36 Mental Health, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) assessments at 12 months. The average age of these 18 patients was 74.2 years (83.3% males), and they all experienced low back pain for over five years before treatment. Data was recorded using Medrio electronic data capture software. Our group recently published the data from the 6-month follow-up, and we here present the preliminary 12-month follow-up findings. All four outcomes showed significant improvements at 12 months from baseline. (all p< 0.05). Physical functioning improved by 12.0 [95% CI: 7.3,17.7] at 1 month, 12.7 [95% CI: 7.6,17.8] at 3 months, and 15.1 [95% CI: 9.5, 20.8] at 6 months, and 10.7 [95% CI: 4.2,17.2] at 12 months from baseline. Mental functioning improved by 7.3 [95% CI: 2.4,12.2] at 1 month, 8.6 [95% CI: 3.4,13.9] at 3 months, 9.3 [95% CI: 3.6,15.1] at 6 months, and 8.3 [95% CI: 1.7,15.0] at 12 months from baseline. Change in VAS pain intensity declined by 3.1 cm [95% CI: 2.0,4.3] at 1 month, 2.7 cm [95% CI: 4.0,1.5] at 3 months, 3.2 cm [95% CI: 1.9,4.6] at 6 months, and 3.0 [95% CI: 1.5,4.6] at 12 months from baseline. Change in ODI pain intensity declined by 24.7 points [95% CI: 16.6,32.7] at 1 month, 23.9 points [95% CI: 15.2,32.6] at 3 months, 26.5 points [95% CI: 17.0,36.1] at 6 months, and 22.6 [95% CI: 11.6,33.7] at 12 months from baseline. Basivertebral nerve ablation shows promise as an effective, minimally invasive treatment for chronic low back pain, potentially fitting well into a community-based clinical practice with sustained effects over 12 months. Longer term data will be gathered to evaluate the durability of the observed pain relief. Clinicians should assess each patient's suitability for basivertebral nerve ablation, considering carefully defined inclusion criteria. Continued research efforts will help gain a more comprehensive understanding of the role of basivertebral nerve ablation in the management of low back pain.