REVIEW article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Translational Pharmacology
Advances in Managing Knee Osteoarthritis: Exploring Ultrasound-Guided Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation and its Molecular Impact
Provisionally accepted
- 1Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- 2Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
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Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent and debilitating condition characterized by chronic pain, synovial inflammation, and progressive joint degradation, significantly impacting the quality of life of millions worldwide. Traditional treatment options, including pharmacological therapies and surgical interventions, often fall short in addressing the underlying mechanisms driving OA progression, emphasizing the need for innovative approaches. Ultrasound-guided radiofrequency thermocoagulation (UG-RFT) has emerged as a minimally invasive technique targeting nociceptive sensory nerves and inflamed synovial tissues. By modulating key inflammatory pathways, particularly NF-κB signaling, UG-RFT disrupts the production of pro-inflammatory mediators, including TNF-α and IL-6, while reducing synovial hyperplasia and cartilage degradation. This study comprehensively examines the principles, mechanisms, and clinical applications of UG-RFT, providing insights into its dual role in symptom management and potential disease modification. Clinical evidence demonstrates that UG-RFT achieves sustained pain relief, functional improvements, and enhanced quality of life in patients with moderate-to-severe OA who are unresponsive to conventional therapies. Compared to pharmacological options like NSAIDs and corticosteroids, UG-RFT offers longer-lasting benefits with fewer systemic side effects. In contrast to surgical interventions such as total knee arthroplasty (TKA), UG-RFT provides a less invasive alternative with minimal recovery time and lower complication rates. This study uniquely integrates clinical outcomes of UG-RFT with emerging mechanistic insights into NF-κB-driven synovial inflammation in knee osteoarthritis. While UG-RFT is clinically established for sustained analgesia, this work advances the field by synthesizing preclinical and translational evidence suggesting that attenuation of peripheral nociceptive signaling and local tissue effects may be associated with reduced activation of NF-κB-linked inflammatory cascades. By bridging clinical efficacy with inflammatory pathway biology, this study positions UG-RFT as a mechanistically informed, minimally invasive strategy with potential implications beyond symptomatic pain control.
Keywords: Disease modification, knee osteoarthritis, NF-κB signaling, Pain Management, Synovitis, Ultrasound-guided radiofrequency thermocoagulation
Received: 24 Nov 2025; Accepted: 09 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Zhou, Quan and Luo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Xiuling Luo
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