Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) has been used successfully to treat myriad types of chronic pain, including spinal radicular pain and that associated with facet arthropathy. Although there are a few reports about radiofrequency treatment for Bertolotti's syndrome (BS) presenting with low back pain, PRF has not previously been reported. Among the four patients we treated (one woman, three men; average age 55 years, range 22-77 years), three had type IIA lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LSTV) according to Castellvi's classification, and one had type IIB. Low back pain without radicular pain had been present in these four patients for a mean of 13.2 months (range 8.0-24.3 months). Fluoroscopically guided local anesthetic injection into the pseudarthrosis alleviated their low back pain temporarily, but the pain subsequently returned. Each then underwent PRF treatment. Their mean visual analog scale for low back pain improved from 68 mm (range 50-80 mm) to 25 mm (range 10-40 mm). To date, the pain relief and full restoration of function has continued for a mean follow-up period of 8.2 months (range 3.9-10.4 months).PRF is a sufficiently effective, minimally invasive option to relieve the low back pain associated with BS at least for the short term.

中文翻译：

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脉冲射频治疗伴有下腰痛的贝托洛蒂综合症：四例报告。

脉冲射频（PRF）已成功用于治疗多种类型的慢性疼痛，包括脊柱神经根疼痛和与小关节疾病相关的慢性疼痛。尽管有一些关于射频疗法治疗下腰痛的贝托洛蒂综合征（BS）的报道，但以前尚未报道过PRF。在我们治疗的四名患者中（一名女性，三名男性；平均年龄55岁，范围22-77岁），根据卡斯特利维（Castellvi's）分类，三名患有IIA型腰s部过渡性椎骨（LSTV），另一名患有IIB型。这四名患者平均出现了13.2个月（范围8.0-24.3个月）而没有腰痛而没有根性疼痛。荧光镜引导下向假关节注入局部麻醉剂可暂时减轻其腰痛，但随后疼痛恢复。然后每个人都接受PRF治疗。下腰痛的平均视觉模拟评分从68毫米（范围50-80毫米）提高到25毫米（范围10-40毫米）。迄今为止，疼痛缓解和功能完全恢复持续了8.2个月（3.9-10.4个月）的平均随访期。PRF是一种足够有效的，微创的选择，可以缓解BS引起的腰痛至少短期而言。