Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Peripheral Nerve Stimulation: A Pragmatic Effectiveness Trial of a Nonpharmacologic Alternative for the Treatment of Postoperative Pain

Peripheral Nerve Stimulation in Postoperative Analgesia: A Narrative Review

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Recent research has shown the effectiveness of peripheral nerve stimulators (PNS) in managing chronic pain conditions. Ongoing studies aim to explore its potential application in treating acute postoperative pain states. The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the role of PNS in providing relief for postoperative pain.

RECENT FINDINGS

Clinical studies investigating the use of peripheral nerve stimulators (PNS) for analgesia following various surgeries, such as total knee arthroplasty, anterior cruciate ligament repair, ankle arthroplasty, rotator cuff repair, hallux valgus correction, and extremity amputation, have shown promising results. Lead placement locations include the brachial plexus, sciatic, femoral, tibial, genicular, perineal, sural, radial, median, and ulnar nerves. These studies consistently report clinically significant reductions in pain scores, and some even indicate a decrease in opioid consumption following PNS for postoperative pain. PNS involves the subcutaneous placement of electrode leads to target peripheral nerve(s) followed by delivery of an electric current via an external pulse generator. While the precise mechanism is not fully understood, the theory posits that PNS modulates electrical stimulation, hindering the signaling of nociceptive pain. PNS presents itself as an alternative to opioid therapy, holding promise to address the opioid epidemic by offering a nonpharmacologic approach for both acute and chronic pain states.

A subanesthetic dose of esketamine combined with hip peripheral nerve block has good sedative and analgesic effects in elderly patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty: A randomized-controlled trial

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to observe the postoperative anesthetic effect of esketamine combined with hip capsule peripheral nerve block (PNB) in elderly patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 120 elderly patients (67 males, 53 females; mean age: 72.5±6.1 years; range, 60 to 89 years) who underwent THA between January 2020 and May 2021 were randomly divided into three groups including 40 patients in each group. The observation group (Group A) was treated with a subanesthetic dose of esketamine combined with hip capsule PNB; control group (Group B) was treated with a subanesthetic dose of esketamine combined with lumbar plexus block; and control group (Group C) was treated with a subanesthetic dose of esketamine for general anesthesia. The onset time of anesthesia, duration of block, postoperative recovery time, postoperative extubation time, mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR) indexes, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Ramsay Sedation Scale (RSS) scores were recorded.

RESULTS

The onset time of anesthesia, duration of block, postoperative recovery time and postoperative extubation time in Group A were significantly lower than those in Groups B and C (p<0.001). Compared to Groups B and C, the MAP was higher at T1-T3 and the HR was significantly higher at T0-T1 (p<0.05) in Group A. The VAS scores after the operation in Group A were significantly lower than those in Groups B and C (p<0.001), and the RSS scores after the operation were significantly higher in this group than in Groups B and C (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

A subanesthetic dose of esketamine combined with hip capsule PNB for elderly patients undergoing THA has better postoperative analgesic effects.

Evidence-Based Clinical Guidelines from the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience for the Use of Implantable Peripheral Nerve Stimulation in the Treatment of Chronic Pain

The objective of this peripheral nerve stimulation consensus guideline is to add to the current family of consensus practice guidelines and incorporate a systematic review process. The published literature was searched from relevant electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science from database inception to March 29, 2021. Inclusion criteria encompassed studies that described peripheral nerve stimulation in patients in terms of clinical outcomes for various pain conditions, physiological mechanism of action, surgical technique, technique of placement, and adverse events. Twenty randomized controlled trials and 33 prospective observational studies were included in the systematic review process. There is Level I evidence supporting the efficacy of PNS for treatment of chronic migraine headaches via occipital nerve stimulation; chronic hemiplegic shoulder pain via stimulation of nerves innervating the trapezius, supraspinatus, and deltoid muscles; failed back surgery syndrome via subcutaneous peripheral field stimulation; and lower extremity neuropathic and lower extremity post-amputation pain. Evidence from current Level I studies combined with newer technologies facilitating less invasive and easier electrode placement make peripheral nerve stimulation an attractive alternative for managing patients with complex pain disorders. Peripheral nerve stimulation should be used judiciously as an adjunct for chronic and acute postoperative pain following adequate patient screening and positive diagnostic nerve block or stimulation trial.

Percutaneous Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (Neuromodulation) for Postoperative Pain: A Randomized, Sham-controlled Pilot Study

BACKGROUND

Percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation is an analgesic technique involving the percutaneous implantation of a lead followed by the delivery of electric current using an external pulse generator. Percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation has been used extensively for chronic pain, but only uncontrolled series have been published for acute postoperative pain. The current multicenter study was undertaken to (1) determine the feasibility and optimize the protocol for a subsequent clinical trial and (2) estimate the treatment effect of percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation on postoperative pain and opioid consumption.

METHODS

Preoperatively, an electrical lead was percutaneously implanted to target the sciatic nerve for major foot/ankle surgery (e.g., hallux valgus correction), the femoral nerve for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, or the brachial plexus for rotator cuff repair, followed by a single injection of long-acting local anesthetic along the same nerve/plexus. Postoperatively, participants were randomized to 14 days of either electrical stimulation (n = 32) or sham stimulation (n = 34) using an external pulse generator in a double-masked fashion. The dual primary treatment effect outcome measures were (1) cumulative opioid consumption (in oral morphine equivalents) and (2) mean values of the "average" daily pain scores measured on the 0 to 10 Numeric Rating Scale within the first 7 postoperative days.

RESULTS

During the first 7 postoperative days, opioid consumption in participants given active stimulation was a median (interquartile range) of 5 mg (0 to 30) versus 48 mg (25 to 90) in patients given sham treatment (ratio of geometric means, 0.20 [97.5% CI, 0.07 to 0.57]; P < 0.001). During this same period, the average pain intensity in patients given active stimulation was a mean ± SD of 1.1 ± 1.1 versus 3.1 ± 1.7 in those given sham (difference, -1.8 [97.5% CI, -2.6 to -0.9]; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation reduced pain scores and opioid requirements free of systemic side effects during at least the initial week after ambulatory orthopedic surgery.

EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE