Table 2

Cost analysis of medial branch block paradigms

Procedure	Cost ($)	RFA criteria	This study
Procedure	Cost ($)	RFA criteria	Patients proceeding to RFA	Patients not proceeding to RFA (1 block)	Patients not proceeding to RFA (2 blocks)	Cost ($)
1 Block	640	1 block over 50%	224	0	0	413,728
2 blocks	1280	2 blocks over 50%	201	0	23	529,327
RFA	1207	1 block over 80%	139	85	0	311,133
1 Block+RFA	1847	2 blocks over 80%	113	85	26	368,711
2 blocks+RFA	2487

		RFA criteria	Extrapolation to 2020 Medicare population
		RFA criteria	Patients proceeding to RFA	Patients not proceeding to RFA (1 block)	Patients not proceeding to RFA (2 blocks)	Total cost ($)
		1 block over 50%	342,531	0	0	632,654,757
		2 blocks over 50%	307,360	0	35,171	809,423,200
		1 block over 80%	212,552	129,978	0	475,769,464
		2 blocks over 80%	172,794	129,978	39 758	563,814,838

RFA, radiofrequency ablation.