FDA clears first RF ablation treatment for osteoarthritis knee pain
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first and only radio frequency (RF) treatment to be cleared specifically to alleviate chronic knee pain due to osteoarthritis.
Marketed by Halyard Health as “Coolief,” the new procedure uses minimally-invasive needles and water-cooled electrodes that emit cooled RF energy to deactivate the sensory nerves responsible for sending pain signals to the brain.
“What we’re changing is the wiring of the knee — so we’re taking away the pain signal and interrupting it,” Dr. Amin Sandeep, a pain specialist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago who performs the procedure, told NBC News. “We’re not changing the structure of the knee, but if we can get rid of the pain, she can be more functional,” Amin added, referring to a patient who said she felt significant relief after undergoing the procedure.
Please click the link below to read further: