The aim of this study was to evaluate treatment of
osteoid osteomas using bipolar
radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and patients' quality of life before and after
therapy. We retrospectively evaluated patients who underwent bipolar RFA of
osteoid osteomas between 2001 and 2016. We assessed patients' symptoms before and
after treatment (four weeks
after treatment and long-term) using a questionnaire including severity and quality of
pain on a 10-point scale (1 = no
pain, 10 = severe
pain), motion restrictions,
pain-related
sleep disorders, and necessary
pain medication. In addition, we evaluated technical success, complications, hospitalization length, and patients' satisfaction with treatment. This study included 62 patients (43 [69.4%] males, 26.2 ± 13.2 years). Average nidus size was 5.7 ± 2.6 mm. The rate of technical success was 100%. All RFAs were performed without any complications. One patient showed a recurrence, resulting in a recurrence rate of 1.6%, which was successfully treated by another session of RFA. Average hospitalization length was 1.5 ± 0.5 days. A total of 36 patients (58.1%) participated in the questionnaire, reporting an average
pain severity of 8.2 ± 1.6 before RFA compared to 3.4 ± 3.0 four weeks after and an average of 2.1 ± 2.3, 6.6 years after
therapy, (both p < 0.001). After
therapy, 31 (86.1%) patients had no
pain. The majority of patients (n = 34, 94.4%) had reduced or absent motion restriction after
therapy (p < 0.001). Patient satisfaction rate was 91.7%. In conclusion, bipolar RFA is a safe and effective treatment modality for
osteoid osteomas and improves quality of life by reducing
pain severity and motion restrictions.