We reported an alternative therapy for 2 cases
respectively with acute and old thoracic compression
fracture and persistent back pain. A 94-yearold
woman who had multiple comorbidities suffered
from severe pain that was caused by an
acute thoracic spine compression fracture. The
other patient was an 89-year-old man with an old
thoracic compression fracture for 2 years. Neither
of them could have satisfactory pain relief by the
conservative treatments. Surgical intervention
was also not considered. Cooled radiofrequency
ablation was applied to both patients’ thoracic
facet joints. The 2 patients’ back pain improved
considerably after the ablation. Cooled radiofrequency
ablation over thoracic facet joints could
be a pain management alternative for relieving
thoracic compression fracture-related pain.
Key words: Compression fracture, thoracic vertebra,
cooled radiofrequency denervation, facet
joint, comorbidity
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