Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of intervertebral disc radiofrequency(RF)ablation combined with dorsal medial branch(DMB)neurotomy in elderly patients suffering from chronic low back pain.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients aged 60 years and older with chronic low back pain admitted to Beijing Hospital from March 2023 to September 2024.The combined treatment group underwent intervertebral disc radiofrequency ablation combined with radiofrequency treatment of the dorsal medial branch of the spinal nerve.The single treatment group underwent intervertebral disc radiofrequency ablation alone.Pain visual analogue scale(VAS)scores were assessed before treatment and on the first day, 3 months, and 6 months post-treatment.The Oswestry Disability Index(ODI)and Barthel Index were evaluated before treatment and at 3 months and 6 months post-treatment.Clinical efficacy was compared between the two groups.Results:A total of 115 elderly patients with chronic low back pain were enrolled, aged 61 to 72 years(mean 66.5 ± 5.6 years), with 44 males.The combined therapy group consisted of 71 patients, and the monotherapy group consisted of 44 patients.All patients were followed up continuously for 6 months.At all-time points post-treatment, the VAS scores in the combined therapy group were significantly lower than those in the monotherapy group( t=-4.887, -10.095, -7.687, all P<0.05); at 3 and 6 months post-treatment, the combined therapy group showed significantly greater improvements in ODI( t=-3.645, -9.451, both P<0.001)Barthel Index improvement were significantly greater than those in the monotherapy group( t=6.578, 8.530, both P<0.001); the overall good-to-excellent rate in the combined therapy group was 88.7%, higher than the 72.7% in the monotherapy group( χ2=4.85, P<0.05). Conclusions:Combined disc RF ablation and DMB neurotomy provide superior pain relief, functional recovery, and improvement in daily activities compared to single disc ablation in elderly patients with CLBP.This minimally invasive approach represents a safe and effective therapeutic strategy for managing chronic low back pain in the geriatric population.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of intervertebral disc radiofrequency(RF)ablation combined with dorsal medial branch(DMB)neurotomy in elderly patients suffering from chronic low back pain.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients aged 60 years and older with chronic low back pain admitted to Beijing Hospital from March 2023 to September 2024.The combined treatment group underwent intervertebral disc radiofrequency ablation combined with radiofrequency treatment of the dorsal medial branch of the spinal nerve.The single treatment group underwent intervertebral disc radiofrequency ablation alone.Pain visual analogue scale(VAS)scores were assessed before treatment and on the first day, 3 months, and 6 months post-treatment.The Oswestry Disability Index(ODI)and Barthel Index were evaluated before treatment and at 3 months and 6 months post-treatment.Clinical efficacy was compared between the two groups.Results:A total of 115 elderly patients with chronic low back pain were enrolled, aged 61 to 72 years(mean 66.5 ± 5.6 years), with 44 males.The combined therapy group consisted of 71 patients, and the monotherapy group consisted of 44 patients.All patients were followed up continuously for 6 months.At all-time points post-treatment, the VAS scores in the combined therapy group were significantly lower than those in the monotherapy group( t=-4.887, -10.095, -7.687, all P<0.05); at 3 and 6 months post-treatment, the combined therapy group showed significantly greater improvements in ODI( t=-3.645, -9.451, both P<0.001)Barthel Index improvement were significantly greater than those in the monotherapy group( t=6.578, 8.530, both P<0.001); the overall good-to-excellent rate in the combined therapy group was 88.7%, higher than the 72.7% in the monotherapy group( χ2=4.85, P<0.05). Conclusions:Combined disc RF ablation and DMB neurotomy provide superior pain relief, functional recovery, and improvement in daily activities compared to single disc ablation in elderly patients with CLBP.This minimally invasive approach represents a safe and effective therapeutic strategy for managing chronic low back pain in the geriatric population.

Objective:To compare the short and medium-term effects of arthroscopic surgery versus intra-articular injections for rotator cuff tears with concomitant shoulder stiffness in elderly patients.Methods:We performed a retrospectively study that included 116 patients with rotator cuff tears combined with shoulder stiffness between January 2015 and June 2017, with 56 patients receiving arthroscopic surgery (the surgery group)and 60 patients given intra-articular injections (the control group). The visual analogue scale (VAS)score, range of motion (ROM), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES)score, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)score were recorded before treatment and 3, 6 and 12 months after treatment.Results:Compared with pre-treatment, VAS scores were lower and ROM, ASES and UCLA scores were higher in both groups after treatment ( P<0.05). At 3 months after treatment, VAS scores were higher and ASES and UCLA scores were lower in the surgery group than in the control group ( P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in ROM between the two groups ( P>0.05). At 6 and 12 months after treatment, VAS scores were lower, ROM was larger, and ASES and UCLA scores were higher in the surgery group than in the control group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:In patients with rotator cuff tears combined with shoulder stiffness, both arthroscopic surgery and intra-articular injections can alleviate pain and improve ROM and shoulder joint function.After 6 months of treatment, greater improvement is achieved in patients undergoing arthroscopic surgery than in patients receiving intra-articular injections.