Development and validation of a new method for locating patella sensory nerves for the treatment of inferior and superior knee pain

BACKGROUND: Radiofrequency ablation and percutaneous cryoneurolysis to relieve knee pain requires treating large areas to ensure coverage due to high variability in the sensory innervation of the knee and limitations of current methods for defining treatment targets. This study sought to define and validate a new treatment approach targeting the major sensory nerves of the superior patella and expand upon previous work to define a more efficient treatment approach targeting the sensory nerves of the inferior patella. METHODS: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and ultrasound were used to evaluate the location and relationship of the cutaneous nerves to the superior and inferior aspects of the knee in 25 healthy volunteers. Using information derived from these evaluations, investigators defined new linear target treatment areas, or treatment lines, using anatomical landmarks, which were validated against locations of sensory nerves through cadaveric dissection of 15 fresh specimens. RESULTS: The proposed treatment lines captured the vast majority of nerve branching variations during cadaveric validation. CONCLUSION: This study defined treatment lines, identifiable using only anatomical landmarks, which effectively target the nerves responsible for superior and inferior knee pain and reduce the total treatment area and procedure time when administering treatments such as radiofrequency ablation and cryoneurolysis.