ABSTRACT
Devised as a therapeutic technique for the relief of chronic low back pain emanating from the lumbar zygapophysial joint, thermal radiofrequency neurotomy (RFN) coagulates the targeted nerve responsible for the transmission of nociceptive information, thereby creating a mechanical barrier. For the treatment of chronic lumbar zygapophysial joint pain, RFN or facet denervation was first promoted by CN Shealy in 1973. Lumbar zygapophysial joint pain cannot be validly diagnosed by clinical impression, physical examination, computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. A lateral view should confirm the relation of the electrode with the neck of the superior articular process (SAP), the depth of insertion, and the distance between the tip of the electrode and the intervertebral forame. The active tip of the electrode is placed on the lateral surface of the neck of the SAP where the target nerve runs, just above its junction with the root of the transverse process.
