MRgFUS in the Treatment of Hand and Hip Osteoarthritic Pain

Inclusion Criteria: * Male and female aged between 45 and 90 years * Presence of activity-related joint pain * Patients who have either no morning joint-related stiffness or morning stiffness that lasts no longer than 30 minutes * Patients who have not responded to previous treatments, * Patients with a baseline pain intensity of 4 to 8 on a 10-cm VAS * Patients who are not candidates for immediate surgery * Signed statement of informed consent (approved by Ethics Committee) Exclusion Criteria: * Prior surgery or previous local treatment (infiltration, other) in the past 3 months * Changes in medications used during the previous 2 months * Intravenous drug use * Corticosteroid use of more than 3 months within the preceding year * Diagnosis of other rheumatologic disorders * Trauma, fracture, or osteomyelitis of the investigated joints within the preceding year * Any neurological disease or disorders potentially affecting pain perception * Fibromyalgia * Pregnancy * Patients with large scar at skin or deeper soft tissue potentially included in the planned path of the ultrasound beam * General contraindications to MRI and/or to anaesthesiological procedures planned for the patient * Presence of internal hardware or devices potentially affecting MR thermometry