Basivertebral nerve (BVN)

The **basivertebral nerve** is a sensory nerve located within the vertebral body of the spine. It arises from the sinuvertebral nerve and enters the vertebral body via the central vascular foramen, where it branches cranially and caudally to innervate the superior and inferior vertebral endplates[1][4][5][2]. This nerve is responsible for transmitting nociceptive (pain) signals from the vertebral endplates, and its proliferation is associated with vertebrogenic pain, particularly in the context of endplate degeneration, trauma, or inflammation[4][5]. As a result, the basivertebral nerve is an established interventional target for the treatment of certain types of chronic low back pain. Minimally invasive radiofrequency ablation of the basivertebral nerve (often via the Intracept system) is performed to disrupt these pain signals, particularly in patients with chronic, refractory low back pain and Modic type 1 or 2 vertebral endplate changes on MRI[3][6][7]. The BVN is not a classical molecular drug target (like a receptor, enzyme, or ion channel), but an anatomic and neurophysiological structure whose ablation has been demonstrated to provide significant and prolonged pain relief in appropriately selected patients[4][3][7].

Other names

BVNBasivertebral nerve (no widely used alternative names)

Radiofrequency ablation (thermal destruction of the nerve to interrupt pain signal transmission)