Interventional Solutions

Image-guided procedures are one area of Camber’s joint and spine care. Your evaluation helps determine whether an interventional, nonsurgical, or surgical approach is appropriate.

What Are Interventional Solutions?

Interventional solutions are minimally invasive procedures guided by medical imaging. Instead of an open incision, an interventional radiologist works through a small access point, using real-time imaging to guide precise procedures.

Genicular artery embolization (GAE) is an outpatient, image-guided procedure for knee osteoarthritis pain. Aaron Frodsham, MD, uses a catheter to reduce abnormal blood flow in selected vessels around the knee. The aim is symptom improvement; GAE does not replace damaged cartilage.

GAE gets its own full page

This page explains where GAE fits. If you’re specifically weighing an alternative to knee replacement, the full picture — candidacy, the procedure step by step, and recovery — lives on our knee-pain page.

Where Interventional Solutions Fit

Interventional care includes GAE for selected knee osteoarthritis patients and selected image-guided musculoskeletal and spine procedures. These are areas of care, not steps every patient must complete. Recommendations depend on your diagnosis, symptoms, prior treatment, overall health, and goals. Surgical evaluation may be appropriate without trying every nonsurgical option first.

Your evaluation: imaging, symptoms, prior treatment, health, and goals guide the discussion.

GAE: may reduce knee osteoarthritis pain and improve function in appropriately selected patients. Benefits vary and research is continuing.

Surgical options: joint preservation or replacement may be considered when appropriate. GAE is not a prerequisite for surgery.

GAE does not guarantee that replacement can be avoided; some patients may still need joint replacement.

Why this matters in Salt Lake City

At Camber, the interventional radiologist who performs GAE and the orthopedic surgeon who performs joint replacement are on the same team. This allows patients to consider both minimally invasive and surgical options, with recommendations based on the individual patient and their knee rather than the procedure offered by a single specialist.

Performed by a Board-Certified Interventional Radiologist

Aaron Frodsham, MD, is certified by the American Board of Radiology in Interventional Radiology and Diagnostic Radiology, with 15 years of clinical practice. He completed diagnostic radiology residency at Yale–New Haven/Saint Raphael and an interventional radiology fellowship at Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital. He performs GAE and selected image-guided musculoskeletal and spine procedures. Gibran Borja, PA-C, provides selected joint and spine injections within his clinical privileges and scope of practice, in collaboration with his supervising/collaborating physicians; additional procedures are coordinated with the appropriate specialist.

The appropriate clinician, procedure, and location are confirmed during consultation.

Could an Interventional Solution Be Right for You?

Whether GAE or another image-guided procedure fits depends on your imaging, symptoms, prior treatment, and overall health — there is no shortcut around an evaluation. People who ask about GAE commonly have knee osteoarthritis and have not received adequate relief from conservative care.

Not getting adequate relief from medication, injections, or physical therapy

Seeking to understand potential symptom relief and the limitations of treatment

Looking for an evaluation of nonsurgical and surgical options before deciding on the next step

We’ll review your situation and give you a straight answer — including telling you if an interventional solution isn’t your best option.

For the full knee-osteoarthritis treatment picture: see Knee Pain: Alternatives to Knee Replacement →

Discuss Your Interventional Care Options

Call for a consultation about joint or spine care. For knee osteoarthritis specifically, the GAE quiz can help you prepare questions; it does not diagnose or determine eligibility.

GAE is performed by Aaron Frodsham, MD, at Evolve, 4624 S. Holladay Blvd., Suite 202, Salt Lake City, UT 84117.

Camber evaluates spine patients and offers selected image-guided procedures. Spine surgery is referred to an appropriate spine surgeon. Physical therapy, conservative care, and diagnostic imaging are generally referred to outside providers.