Genicular nerve ablation is a procedure to relieve pain originating in the genicular nerves. The genicular nerves are sensory nerves located in the knee. As a result of certain medical conditions or injury to the knee, these nerves can become aggravated, causing pain. Genicular nerve ablation is a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure for relieving chronic knee pain. During a genicular nerve ablation procedure, the genicular nerves in the knee are ablated (burned) using heat generated by a radiofrequency current. The ablation breaks up the pain signal from the knee nerves, providing relief.
A single genicular nerve ablation can provide upward of six months of pain relief and can be repeated as necessary for patients who respond well to the treatment.
Prior to a genicular nerve ablation, a diagnostic procedure, called a genicular nerve block, is performed to determine if the ablation would be effective.