Prospective, randomized, multicenter study of intraosseous basivertebral nerve ablation for the treatment of chronic low back pain: 24-Month treatment arm results

BACKGROUND: Vertebral endplates, innervated by the basivertebral nerve, can be a source of vertebrogenic low back pain when damaged with inflammation, visible as types 1 or 2 Modic changes. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) compared basivertebral nerve ablation (BVNA) to standard care (SC) showed significant differences between arms at 3 and 6-months. At 12-months, significant improvements were sustained for BVNA. We report results of the BVNA arm at 24-months. METHODS: Prospective, open label, single-arm follow-up of the BVNA treatment arm of a RCT in 20 US sites with visits at 6-weeks, and 3, 6, 9, 12 and 24-months. Paired comparisons to baseline were made for the BVNA arm at each timepoint for Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), EQ-5D-5L, and responder rates. RESULTS: 140 patients were randomized, 66 to BVNA. In the 58 BVNA patients completing a 24-month visit, 67% had back pain for >5 years, 36% were actively taking opioids at baseline, 50% had prior epidural steroid injections, and 12% had prior low back surgery. Improvements in ODI, VAS, SF-36 PCS, and EQ-5D-5L were statistically significant at all timepoints through 2 years. At 24 months, ODI and VAS improved 28.5±16.2 points (from baseline 44.5; p < 0.001) and 4.1±2.7 cm (from baseline 6.6; p < 0.001), respectively. A combined responder rate of ODI≥15 and VAS≥2 was 73.7%. A ≥50% reduction in pain was reported in 72.4% of patients and 31.0% were pain-free at 2 years. At 24 months, only 3(5%) of patients had BVNA-level steroid injections, and 62% fewer patients were actively taking opioids. There were no serious device or device-procedure related adverse events reported through 24 months. CONCLUSION: Intraosseous BVNA demonstrates an excellent safety profile and significant improvements in pain, function, and quality of life that are sustained through 24 months in patients with chronic vertebrogenic low back pain.