A 2012 study published in in Pain Medicine by Dr. John MacVicar et al. using the Cosman RRE electrode1 demonstrates complete relief of chronic neck pain for over 1 year in most patients, and beyond 3 years in many patients treated. For decades, the RRE electrode (16 gauge, 6mm tip) has been the choice of pain management specialists who desire larger lesions to increase the length of coagulated nerve and reduce sensitivity to nerve position.
The RRE Kit was designed by Dr. Charles D. Ray, MD and Dr. Eric R. Cosman, PhD. The RRE-TC Electrode has a special shaft construction for rigidity during percutaneous insertion. It has an insulated shaft except for an uninsulated tip that is 6 mm long and 16G diameter (1.6 mm). The tip has a sharpened trocar point to facilitate penetration of tough tissue during positioning near bony structures of the spine. The RRE tip has a built in thermocouple (TC) temperature sensor for thermal monitoring of the RF heating process.
The Electrode’s hub has an end-plate pressure-pad to facilitate insertion. The hub also has a shortened length and a side-located connector. This enables a C-arm fluoroscope to be brought down close to the patient for improved imaging and reduced X-ray scatter during RRE Electrode positioning. The hub has two shouldered rims to enable grasping and manipulation by a clamp during fluoro-imaging, thus reducing the X-ray exposure of the clinician’s hands.
The RRE Kit comes with a CB112-TC Cable that connects the Electrode to the Cosman RF Generators, and can be provided with a sterilzation tray.
References
- MacVicar J, Borowczyk JM, MacVicar AM, Loughnan BM, Bogduk N. Cervical Medial Branch Radiofrequency Neurotomy in New Zealand. Pain Medicine 2012; 13: 647–654.[Pain Medicine]
