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Study Design.

A prospective randomized trial.

Objective.

To evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous intradiscal radiofrequency thermocoagulation by modifying the duration of heating, using two different time methods, for relieving pain and improving functional disability.

Summary of Background Data.

Lumbar discogenic pain is the major problem in lumbar degenerative disc disease that percutaneous intradiscal radiofrequency thermocoagulation has been suggested for as a nonsurgical invasive treatment technique for lumbar discogenic pain. In a previous controlled study, this method was found to be ineffective with 8 weeks of follow-up.

Materials and Methods.

Sixty patients with chronic low back pain were selected for provocative discography to diagnose the discogenic pain and to locate the discs to be treated. From this group, 39 patients were randomly selected and divided into two groups. In the first group …