Abstract
Since the dorsal root ganglia represent the first structure of pain modulation, they are the target of the newest therapies of neuropathic pain. Between these, pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) has been described among the promising non-invasive methods. Although the results encourage the clinical use of this procedure, their mechanism of action is still unclear. Aim of our study was to analyze acute effects of PRF on the rat lumbar ganglion and on nervous fibres running inside it. Clinical works describe PRF treatment as a techinque without any visible neurological deficit. The few disposable histological works are contractictory: some describe no signs of cellular damage and some demonstrate visible intracellular modifications. A total of 20 male Wistar rats were deeply anesthesized. Ten were positioned in a stereotactic system, and exposed to PRF at 2 Hz for 30 s after exposition of paravertebral muscles and positioning of a stimulation needle on left L4 ganglion. The other ten were used as controls. After 1 h, the left dorsal root ganglions L3, L4, L5 of the 20 animals were explanted, fixed in 2.5% Karnowsky solution and prepared for light and transmission electron microscopy. At light microscopy no differences between treated and control animals were observed; at transmission electron microscopy, instead, it was possible to observe that T gangliar cells contained an abnormal abundant smooth reticulum with enlarged cisternae and numerous vacuoles; myelinated axons presented pathological features and their myelin coverage was not adherent. Instead, unmyelinated axons appeared normal in shape and dimension and the Schwann cells surrounding it had intact plasmamembrane. Our results, obtained at acute stage, reveal that the PRF procedure should destroy the myelin envelope of nervous fibres. Further future studies, at chronic stage, should give other information on the prognosis of the myelinic damage.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cohen SP, Foster A (2003) Pulsed radiofrequency as a treatment for groin pain and orchialgia. Urology 61:645
Cosman ER, Nashold BS, Ovelmann-Levitt J (1984) Theoretical aspects of radiofrequency lesions in the dorsal root entry zone. Neurosurgery 15:945–950. doi:10.1097/00006123-198412000-00032
De Louw AJA, Vles HSH, Freling G, Herpers MJHM, Van Kleef M (2001) The morphological effects of a radiofrequency lesion adjacent to the dorsal root ganglion (RF-DRG)—an experimental study in the goat. Eur J Pain 5:169–174. doi:10.1053/eujp.2001.0228
Erdine S, Yucel A, Cimen A, Aydin S, Sav A, Bilir A (2005) Effects of pulsed versus conventional radiofrequency current on rabbit dorsal root ganglion morphology. Eur J Pain 9:251–256. doi:10.1016/j.ejpain.2004.07.002
Geurst JW, van Wijk RM, Wynne HJ, Hammink E, Buskens E, Lousberg R et al (2003) Radiofrequency lesioning of dorsal root ganglia for chronic lumbosacral radicular pain: a tandomised, double-blinded, controlled trial. Lancet 361:21–26. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(03)12115-0
Mikeladze G, Espinal R, Finnegan R, Routon J, Martin D (2003) Pulsed radiofrequency application in treatment of chronic zyapophyseal joint pain. Spine J 419:170–177
Munglani R (1999) The longer term effect of pulsed radiofrequency for neuropathic pain. Pain 80:437–439. doi:10.1016/S0304-3959(98)00183-3
Nash TP (1986) Percutaneous radiofrequency lesioning of dorsal root ganglia for intractable pain. Pain 24:67–73. doi:10.1016/0304-3959(86)90027-8
Ochiai N, Tasto JP, Ohtori S, Takahashi N, Moriya H, Amiel D (2007) Nerve regeneration after radiofrequency application. Am J Sports Med 35(11):1940–1944. doi:10.1177/0363546507304175
Podajsky RJ, Sekiguchi Y, Kikuchi S, Myers RR (2005) The histologic effects of pulsed and continuous radiofrequency lesions at 42°C to rat dorsal root ganglion and sciatic nerve. Spine 9:1008–1013. doi:10.1097/01.brs.0000161005.31398.58
Rosomoff HL, Carrol F, Brown J, Sheptak P (1965) Percutaneous radiofrequency cervical cordotomy technique. J Neurosurg 23:639–644
Shah RV, Racz GB (2004) Long-term relief of posttraumatic headache by sphenopalatine ganglion pulsed radiofreuency lesioning: a case report. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 85:1013–1016. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2003.07.017
Sluijter ME, Van Kleef M (1998) Characteristics and mode of action of radiofrequency lesions. Curr Rev Pain 2:143–150
Sluijter ME, Cosman ER, Rittman WB, Van Kleef M (1998) The effects of pulsed radiofrequency fields applied to the dosal root ganglion—a preliminary report. Pain Clin 11:109–117
Sluijter ME (2001) Radiofrequency. Flivo Press, Switzerland
Stolker RJ, Vervest AC, Groen GJ (1993) Percutaneous facet denervation in chronic thoracic spinal pain. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 122:82–90. doi:10.1007/BF01446991
Sweet WH, Wespic JG (1974) Controlled thermocoagulation of trigeminal ganglion and rootlets for differential destruction of pain fibres. J Neurosurg 40:143–156
Van Kleef M, Leim L, Lousberg R et al (1996) Radiofrequency lesions adjacent to dorsal root ganglion for cervicobrachial pain: a prospective double blind randomized study. Neurosurgery 38:1127–1131. doi:10.1097/00006123-199606000-00013
Van Zundert J, Brabant S, Van de Kelft E, Vercruyssen A, Van Buyten JP (2003) Pulsed radiofrequency treatment of the Gasserian ganglion in patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia. Pain 104:449–452. doi:10.1016/S0304-3959(03)00066-6
Van Zundert J, Lame IE, de Louw A et al (2003) Percutaneous pulsed radiofrequency treatment of the cervical dorsal root ganglion in the treatment of chronic cervical pain syndromes: a clinical audit. Neuromodulation 6:6–14. doi:10.1046/j.1525-1403.2003.03001.x
Vervest ACM, Stolker RJ (1991) The treatment of cervical pain syndromes with radiofrequency procedures. Pain Clin 4:103–112
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the “Centro Grandi Attrezzature per la Ricerca Biomedica” of Insubria University for instruments availability.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Morphological PRF effects on ganglions.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Protasoni, M., Reguzzoni, M., Sangiorgi, S. et al. Pulsed radiofrequency effects on the lumbar ganglion of the rat dorsal root: a morphological light and transmission electron microscopy study at acute stage. Eur Spine J 18, 473–478 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-008-0870-z
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-008-0870-z