Intracept Procedure

What is the Intracept procedure?

The Intracept Procedure is a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure for patients with vertebrogenic pain. The procedure targets a specific nerve within the vertebra called the basivertebral nerve and has been shown to improve function and relieve pain long-term. The procedure is implant-free, preserving future treatment options for other spine conditions.

What is Vertebrogenic Pain?

Vertebrogenic pain is a distinct type of chronic low back pain caused by damage to vertebral endplates, the interface between the disc and the vertebral body. Disc degeneration, and the wear and tear that occurs with everyday living, produces stresses on the endplates that damage them, leading to inflammation and vertebrogenic pain.

What to expect during the procedure?

The Intracept Procedure is a same-day procedure performed in an outpatient surgery center. Unlike some major surgeries, the Intracept Procedure is implant-free and preserves the overall structure of the spine. The Intracept Procedure involves heating the basivertebral nerve with a radiofrequency probe to stop it from sending pain signals to the brain. Patients are under anesthesia, and the procedure generally lasts an hour. Different from other nerves in the body that regenerate, the BVN has not shown an ability to grow back as a pain-transmitting nerve following the Intracept Procedure.

What to expect after the procedure

Following the procedure, the doctor may recommend some precautions to take – and after a brief recovery period, most people resume normal activities.

Most people start to feel pain relief within two weeks after the Intracept Procedure. And what separates the Intracept Procedure from other radiofrequency ablation procedures is its long-term relief after a single procedure.