INTRODUCING
IOVERA˚
The Power to Stop Pain Cold
As part of our commitment to provide targeted pain relief options without the use of opioids, Bone & Joint Care Center now offers iovera° treatment for qualifying patients. The iovera° system is FDA-cleared to provide immediate and long-lasting relief of chronic and acute knee pain. The iovera° treatment can be performed prior to knee surgery to help reduce your pain after surgery or to treat chronic pain due to osteoarthritis of the knee. iovera° provides relief right at the site of your pain so it doesn’t affect your entire body like NSAIDs, opioids/narcotics, or other medications.
With the iovera° system, our physicians are able to deliver precise, controlled doses of cold through a portable, handheld device. iovera° uses cold therapy, or cryoanalgesia, to temporarily freeze one or several nerves around the knee, which blocks the treated nerves from sending pain signals. This minimally invasive treatment is safe and causes no damage to surrounding tissues. During the simple outpatient procedure, iovera° safely and effectively allows patients with knee pain to get back on their feet fast and on the road to recovery.
What Can I Expect?
The procedure uses a handheld device with closed-end needles to deliver intense cold treatments to the nerves around the painful joint. The cold treatment freezes the nerve and blocks it from sending pain signals. The effect is immediate and can last up to 90 days or until the nerve is able to start sending pain signals again. Treatment time varies and is done right in our office. A numbing medicine is applied to the injection site to minimize discomfort during the treatment. The treatment does not inject any drugs, opioids, or narcotics into the body. The procedure may be done again if the pain returns a few months later.
What Are the Indications?
The iovera° system is used to destroy tissue during surgical procedures by applying freezing cold. It can also be used to produce lesions in peripheral nervous tissue by the application of cold to the selected site for the blocking of pain. It is also indicated for the relief of pain and symptoms associated with osteoarthritis of the knee for up to 90 days. The iovera° system is not indicated for treatment of central nervous system tissue. The iovera° system’s “1x90” Smart Tip configuration (indicating one needle which is 90 mm long) can also facilitate target nerve location by conducting electrical nerve stimulation from a separate nerve stimulator.
Questions?
Call 484-628-2663 to request more information or an appointment with our iovera° experts.
Important Safety Information
+ CONTRAINDICATIONS
The iovera° system should not be used in people with the following conditions:
- Cryoglobulinemia – blood that thickens when patient is exposed to cold
- Paroxysmal Cold Hemoglobinuria – blood appearing in the urine when patient is exposed to the cold
- Cold Urticaria – skin rash that appears when patient is exposed to the cold
- Raynaud’s Disease – narrowing of the blood vessels in the hands and feet when patient is exposed to the cold
- Open and/or infected wounds at or near the treatment site
+ POTENTIAL COMPLICATIONS
As with any surgical treatment that uses needle-based therapy and local anesthesia, there is a potential for site-specific reactions, including, but not limited to:
- Ecchymosisdema
- Erythema
- Local pain and/or tenderness
- Localized dysesthesia
Proper use of the device as described in the User Guide can help reduce or prevent the following complications:
- At the treatment site(s):
- Injury to the skin related to application of cold or heat
- Hyper- or hypopigmentation
- Skin dimpling
- Outside the treatment site(s):
- Loss of motor function
For more information, visit iovera.com.
TKA=total knee arthroplasty; OA=osteoarthritis.
References:
1. Dasa V, Lensing G, Parsons M, Harris J, Volaufova J, Bliss R. Percutaneous freezing of sensory nerves prior to total knee arthroplasty. Knee. 2016;23(3):523-528.
2. Radnovich R, Scott D, Patel AT, et al. Cryoneurolysis to treat the pain and symptoms of knee osteoarthritis: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2017;25(8):1247-1256.