Femoral and Obturator Nerve Articular Branches Prf

A Study on the Effectiveness of Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment Applied to the Femoral and Obturator Nerve Articular Branches Under Ultrasound Guidance in Chronic Hip Osteoarthritis

In our clinic, patients undergoing pulsed radiofrequency treatment of the femoral and obturator nerve articular branches under ultrasound guidance for pain management due to hip and groin pain associated with hip osteoarthritis will have the efficacy of these methods on pain compared with the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) and Oxford Hip Score (OHS) at 2, 6, 12 weeks.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Hip Ostearthritis
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: ultrasound-guided femoral and obturator nerve articular branches pulsed radiofrequency

Detailed Description

Osteoarthritis of the hip joint is a common cause of pain and disability. Patients who do not respond to conservative treatments such as painkillers, physical therapy, and exercise often cannot undergo joint replacement due to comorbid conditions, while some patients prefer to postpone surgery as long as possible. Pulsed radiofrequency treatment applied to the articular branches of the femoral and obturator nerves, which innervate the joint, is a new technique for reducing hip joint pain. Previous studies have reported positive results after applying thermal neurolytic radiofrequency to the target nerves; however, this approach carries the risk of neuritis and neuroma formation. In our study, we aimed to investigate the effectiveness of pRF treatment applied to the articular branches of the femoral and obturator nerves under ultrasound guidance on pain and functionality in patients with chronic hip pain associated with osteoarthritis. The fact that the procedure is performed under ultrasound guidance, does not involve radiation exposure, and is an accessible and easy-to-perform technique makes it preferable for both patients and physicians.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Gevher Rabia Genc Perdecioglu, TR; Phone Number: +905332009184; Email: gevhergenc@gmail.com
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Emine Yuksel, TR; Phone Number: +905453489378; Email: eminecan_02@hotmail.com

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Ankara, Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Recruiting
    • Ankara Etlik City Hospital
    • Contact: Ankara Etlik City Hospital Etlik City Hospital; Phone Number: (0312) 797 00 00; Email: eminecan_02@hotmail.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 1. Patients with hip and groin pain who have been diagnosed with hip osteoarthritis by direct radiography
• 2. Patients who have had hip pain above VAS 5 for more than 6 weeks
• 3. Failure of pain treatment with conservative methods such as analgesics and physical therapy

Exclusion Criteria:

• 1. Patients with lumbar radiculopathy and axial back pain, sacroiliac joint, connective tissue disease
• 2. Patients who do not attend follow-up appointments regularly or cannot be reached by phone
• 3. Patients who started additional analgesic medication or underwent additional interventional procedures after the initial interventional procedure

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Other: pulsed radiofrequency group; femoral and obturator nerve articular branches pulsed radiofrequency for hip osteoartritis

Procedure: ultrasound-guided femoral and obturator nerve articular branches pulsed radiofrequency; Hemodynamic monitoring is provided. The hip joint where the procedure will be performed is cleaned with povidone-iodine. Sterile draping is performed. For PRF application to the articular branches of the femoral nerve, a convex ultrasound probe is first used to locate the articular branches of the femoral nerve in the groin area, followed by the articular branches of the obturator nerve. The radiofrequency cannula is inserted sequentially into the target points and sensory feedback is obtained. Then, a pulsed radiofrequency current, which has therapeutic properties for chronic pain and does not damage tissues by exceeding a temperature of 42 degrees, is applied to the relevant nerve root for 240 seconds. Subsequently, an injectate consisting of 2 cc of 5% bupivacaine, 4 mg of dexamethasone, and 2 cc of physiological saline is administered to the same nerve. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
numeric rating scale	The numeric rating scale (NRS) is a pain screening tool, commonly used to assess pain severity at that moment in time using a 0-10 scale, with zero meaning "no pain" and 10 meaning "the worst pain imaginable"	Change from baseline to 2nd 6 th and 12th weeks after treatment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
oxford hip score	The Oxford Hip Score (OHS) is a joint-specific, patient-reported outcome measure designed to assess disability in patients witth hip osteoarthritis	Change from baseline to 2nd 6th and 12th weeks after treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Diskapi Teaching and Research Hospital
• Investigators: Study Chair: Gevher Rabia Genc Perdecioğlu, Diskapi TRH

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 20, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 20, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 20, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 17, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 17, 2025
• First Posted (Estimated): September 24, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): September 30, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 24, 2025
• Last Verified: September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Ultrasonography; Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment; femoral and obturator nerve articular branches
• Other Study ID Numbers: hip pericapsular nerve pRF

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No