Incidence of Infections, Explantations, and Displacements/Mechanical Complications of Spinal Cord Stimulation During the Past Eight Years

OBJECTIVES

The overall awareness and potential of real-world data have drastically increased in the medical field, with potential implications for postmarket medical device surveillance. The goal of this study was to evaluate real-world data on incidence of infections, explantations, and displacements/mechanical complications of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) during the past eight years and to forecast point estimates for the upcoming three years on the basis of the identified patterns.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Based on electronic health records from 80 healthcare organizations within the TriNetX data base in the USA, data of 11,934 patients who received SCS as treatment for persistent spinal pain syndrome type 2 (PSPS T2) were extracted. Events of interest were explantations and displacements/mechanical complications of both the lead and implanted pulse generator (IPG), in addition to infection rates from 2015 to 2022. Mann-Kendall tests were performed to detect monotonic trends in the time series. Forecasts were conducted for the upcoming three years for every event of interest.

RESULTS

Statistically significant increasing time trends were revealed for the annual incidence of IPG and lead displacements/mechanical complications in patients with PSPS T2 over the past eight years. These time trends were visible in both male and female patients and in smokers and nonsmokers. For annual incidence of explantations and infections, no significant time effect was observed. In 2025, the incidence of displacements/mechanical complications of the lead (3.07%) is predicted to be the highest, followed by explantations of the IPG (2.67%) and lead (2.02%).

CONCLUSIONS

Based on real world data, device explantation was the most frequent event of interest, with negative peaks in the time series in 2016 and 2020, presumably due to the introduction of rechargeable pulse generators and to the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively.

Examining the Type, Quality, and Content of Web-Based Information for People With Chronic Pain Interested in Spinal Cord Stimulation: Social Listening Study

BACKGROUND

The increased availability of web-based medical information has encouraged patients with chronic pain to seek health care information from multiple sources, such as consultation with health care providers combined with web-based information. The type and quality of information that is available on the web is very heterogeneous, in terms of content, reliability, and trustworthiness. To date, no studies have evaluated what information is available about neuromodulation on the web for patients with chronic pain.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore the type, quality, and content of web-based information regarding spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for chronic pain that is freely available and targeted at health care consumers.

METHODS

The social listening tool Awario was used to search Facebook (Meta Platforms, Inc), Twitter (Twitter, Inc), YouTube (Google LLC), Instagram (Meta Platforms, Inc), blogs, and the web for suitable hits with "pain" and "neuromodulation" as keywords. Quality appraisal of the extracted information was performed using the DISCERN instrument. A thematic analysis through inductive coding was conducted.

RESULTS

The initial search identified 2174 entries, of which 630 (28.98%) entries were eventually withheld, which could be categorized as web pages, including news and blogs (114/630, 18.1%); Reddit (Reddit, Inc) posts (32/630, 5.1%); Vimeo (Vimeo, Inc) hits (38/630, 6%); or YouTube (Google LLC) hits (446/630, 70.8%). Most posts originated in the United States (519/630, 82.4%). Regarding the content of information, 66.2% (383/579) of the entries discussed (fully discussed or partially discussed) how SCS works. In total, 55.6% (322/579) of the entries did not elaborate on the fact that there may be >1 potential treatment choice and 47.7% (276/579) did not discuss the influence of SCS on the overall quality of life. The inductive coding revealed 4 main themes. The first theme of pain and the burden of pain (1274/8886, 14.34% coding references) explained about pain, pain management, individual impact of pain, and patient experiences. The second theme included neuromodulation as a treatment approach (3258/8886, 36.66% coding references), incorporating the background on neuromodulation, patient-centered care, SCS therapy, and risks. Third, several device-related aspects (1722/8886, 19.38% coding references) were presented. As a final theme, patient benefits and testimonials of treatment with SCS (2632/8886, 29.62% coding references) were revealed with subthemes regarding patient benefits, eligibility, and testimonials and expectations.

CONCLUSIONS

Health care consumers have access to web-based information about SCS, where details about the surgical procedures, the type of material, working mechanisms, risks, patient expectations, testimonials, and the potential benefits of this therapy are discussed. The reliability, trustworthiness, and correctness of web-based sources should be carefully considered before automatically relying on the content.

Effects of an exercise program plus manual therapy in a patient with failed neck surgery syndrome: A case report

BACKGROUND

Patients who have undergone cervical surgery may present pain and dysfunction in the upper limb, which is often referred to as failed neck surgery syndrome. Little is known about the effects of an exercise program plus manual therapy in the treatment of prolonged neuropathic pain of the upper quadrant in a patient with failed neck surgery.

CASE DESCRIPTION

A 66-year-old woman consulted for neuropathic pain and dysfunction during grasping activities, as a result of failed neck surgery after 12 months. Clinical, functional, and electromyographic measurements were recorded at baseline and after treatment. The patient underwent a treatment for six weeks based on manual therapy for the upper limb and cervical spine and an exercise program for the scapular muscles, rotator cuff and wrist extensor muscles.

OUTCOMES

Positive clinically significant changes were observed in the Neuropathic Pain Questionnaire (DN4) (baseline = 7 points; post-treatment = 4 points), Neck Disability Index (NDI) (baseline = 36; post-treatment = 18 points), QuickDASH (baseline = 78; post- treatment = 32 points), Upper Limb Neurodynamic Test 1 (ULNT-1) (baseline = 75°; post- treatment = 42°) and grip strength (GS) (baseline = 23 kgf; post-treatment = to 32 kgf). Improvements in the surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity of the upper trapezius (UT), infraspinatus (IS) and radial wrist extensors (RWE) muscles also seemed to occur after treatment.

CONCLUSION

Treatment helped relieve neuropathic pain, decrease neck disability, and improve general upper limb function.

Short- and long-term effects of conventional spinal cord stimulation on chronic pain and health perceptions: A longitudinal controlled trial

BACKGROUND

The effectiveness and long-term outcomes of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) are not fully established, especially considering that data from patients who withdrew from the trial are rarely analysed, which may lead to overestimation of SCS efficacy. We evaluated short- and long-term effects of SCS on chronic pain and perceived health, beyond natural variability in these outcomes.

METHODS

In a prospective design, 176 chronic pain patients referred to SCS were evaluated five times (baseline; retest ~6 weeks later; post-SCS trial; 8 and 28 weeks post-permanent implantation). Patients whose SCS trial failed (Temp group) were followed up and compared to those who underwent permanent SCS (Perm group).

RESULTS

Analyses revealed a non-linear (U-shaped) trend significantly different between the two groups. In the Perm group, a significant improvement occurred post-SCS implantation in pain severity, pain interference, health-related quality of life and self-rated health, which was followed by gradual worsening and return to baseline values at end of follow-up. In the Temp group, only minor changes occurred in these outcomes over time. On average, baseline and end of follow-up values in the Perm and Temp groups were similar: ~40% in each group exhibited an increase in pain severity over time and 38% and 33%, respectively, exhibited reductions in pain severity over time.

CONCLUSIONS

Since the greatest improvement in the outcome measures occurred from baseline to post-SCS trial (T1-T3) followed by a gradual decline in the effect, it appears that SCS may not be effective for the majority of chronic pain patients.

SIGNIFICANCE

This longitudinal study evaluated short and long term effects of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) on chronic pain outcome measures, beyond their natural variation in time. Despite significant short term improvements, by the end of the seven months' follow-up, the outcomes in the treatment group (people who received the permanent implantation) were similar to those of the control group (people whose SCS trial failed and did not continue to permanent implantation) suggesting SCS may not be cost-effective for chronic pain patients.

Dutch Consensus Paper: A Consensus View on the Place of Neurostimulation Within the Treatment Arsenal of Five Reimbursed Indications for Neurostimulation in The Netherlands

INTRODUCTION

After an interpretation trajectory, the Dutch Quality of Healthcare Institute recommended that for five indications, spinal cord stimulation, dorsal root ganglion stimulation, or occipital nerve stimulation, together referred to as neurostimulation, can be considered effective and be reimbursed in the Netherlands. These five indications are the well and largely studied, accepted neurostimulation indications in scientific literature. As an extension of this, all the scientific societies involved in the Netherlands were required to reach a consensus about the diagnosis and treatment of these five formulated indications to describe the place of neurostimulation within the treatment algorithm. This article describes the development process and content of the consensus paper.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A scientific committee, consisting of three anesthesiologists/pain physicians (one of whom acted as the working group's chair), a neurosurgeon, a neurologist, a rehabilitation physician, and three nurse practitioners, participated. A quality advisor of the Knowledge Institute of the Dutch Federation of Medical Specialists supported the committee. The committee participated on behalf of their various scientific and professional societies. Three sessions were organized during which the place of neurostimulation in the treatment algorithm of the five relevant indications was discussed extensively. A narrative literature review and experts' opinions formed the basis of decision-making in the process.

RESULTS

For all five diagnoses, general and diagnosis-specific treatment requirements, conservative treatments, and minimally invasive treatments are listed. These treatments should be considered in the chronic pain management algorithm before eventually proceeding to neurostimulation.

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION

The content of this consensus view was discussed and compared with other literature on cost-effectiveness and the place in the algorithm of treating chronic pain. This Dutch consensus paper could ultimately contribute to the maintenance or expansion of neurostimulation and the reimbursement.

Spinal cord stimulation: Beyond pain management

INTRODUCTION

The gate control theory of pain was the starting point of the development of spinal cord stimulation (SCS). We describe the indications for the treatment in pain management and other uses not related to pain.

DEVELOPMENT

There are currently several paradigms for SCS: tonic, burst, and high frequency. The main difference lies in the presence of paraesthesias. SCS is most beneficial for treating neuropathic pain. Patients with failed back surgery syndrome show the best response rates, although a considerable reduction in pain is also observed in patients with complex regional pain syndrome, diabetic neuropathy, radiculopathy, and low back pain without previous surgery. Phantom pain or pain related to cardiovascular or peripheral vascular disease may improve, although there is a lack of robust evidence supporting generalisation of its use. SCS also improves cancer-related pain, although research on this issue is scarce. Non-pain-related indications for SCS are movement disorders, spasticity, and sequelae of spinal cord injury. The main limiting factors for the use of SCS are mechanical complications and the cost of the treatment.

CONCLUSION

In its 50-year history, SCS has progressed enormously. The perfection of hardware and software may improve its effectiveness and reduce the rate of complications. Indications for SCS could include other diseases, and its use could be expanded, if the costs of the technology are reduced.

The painful shoulder arthroplasty: appropriate work-up and review of interventional pain treatments

Shoulder arthroplasty is a successful surgical procedure for several conditions when patients become refractory to conservative management modalities. Unfortunately, some patients experience persistent chronic pain after shoulder arthroplasty. These individuals should undergo a comprehensive evaluation by an orthopedic surgeon to determine whether structural pathology is responsible for the pain and to decide whether reoperation is indicated. At times, a surgical solution does not exist. In these circumstances, a thorough and specific plan for the management of persistent chronic pain should be developed and instituted. In this article, we review common reasons for persistent pain after shoulder arthroplasty and outline the evaluation of the painful shoulder arthroplasty. We then provide a thorough review of interventional pain management strategies. Finally, we hypothesize developments in our field that might provide better outcomes in the future for patients suffering with chronic intractable pain after shoulder arthroplasty.

Management of post-cervical laminectomy fusion pain syndrome with a successful trial of spinal cord stimulation

Introduction

Spinal cord stimulation has been shown to be beneficial in various postsurgical neuropathic pain syndromes, but the already small cervical epidural space due to epidural fibrosis makes cervical spinal cord stimulator placement very difficult. We present a case of successful cervical cord stimulator implantation in a patient with a history of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, posterior cervical fusion, and significant epidural fibrosis.

Methods

A 48-year-old woman with a history of type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and fibromyalgia presented with trauma-induced cervicalgia and bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy.

Results

In a 4-day trial of stimulation, she reported an 80% reduction of her pain and significant improvement in her quality of life.

Discussion

Although anecdotal evidence and case series have shown spinal cord stimulation to be successful in cervical failed back surgery syndrome, we are the first to discuss the technical challenges and complications associated with epidural fibrosis.

Pain Relief and Safety Outcomes with Cervical 10 kHz Spinal Cord Stimulation: Systematic Literature Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Chronic pain in head, neck, shoulders and upper limbs is debilitating, and patients usually rely on pain medications or surgery to manage their symptoms. However, given the current opioid epidemic, non-pharmacological interventions that reduce pain, such as spinal cord stimulation (SCS), are needed. The purpose of this study was to review the evidence on paresthesia-free 10 kHz SCS therapy for neck and upper extremity pain.

METHODS

Systematic literature search was performed for studies reporting outcomes for cervical 10 kHz SCS using date limits from May 2008 to November 2020. The study results were analyzed and described qualitatively. Additionally, when feasible, meta-analyses of the outcome data, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were conducted using both the fixed-effects (FE) and random-effects (RE) models.

RESULTS

A total of 15 studies were eligible for inclusion. The proportion of patients who achieved ≥ 50% pain reduction was 83% (95% CI 77-89%) in both the FE and RE models. The proportion of patients who reduced/eliminated their opioid consumption was 39% (95% CI 31-46%) in the FE model and 39% (95% CI 31-48%) in the RE model. Pain or discomfort with the implant, lead migration, and infections were potential risks following cervical SCS. Explant rate was 0.1 (95% CI 0.0-0.2) events per 100 person-months, and no patients in the included studies experienced a neurological complication or paresthesia.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest 10 kHz SCS is a promising, safe, minimally invasive alternative for managing chronic upper limb and neck pain.

A narrative review and future considerations of spinal cord stimulation, dorsal root ganglion stimulation and peripheral nerve stimulation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

In recent years, neuromodulation has experienced a renaissance. Novel waveforms and anatomic targets show potential improvements in therapy that may signify substantial benefits. New innovations in peripheral nerve stimulation and dorsal root ganglion stimulation have shown prospective evidence and sustainability of results. Sub-perception physiologic bursting, high-frequency stimulation and feedback loop mechanisms provide significant benefits over traditional tonic spinal cords stimulation (SCS) in peer reviewed investigations. We reviewed the themes associated with novel technology in the context of historical stalwart publications.

RECENT FINDINGS

New innovations have led to better nerve targeting, improvements in disease-based treatment, and opioid alternatives for those in chronic pain. In addition, new neural targets from both structural and cellular perspectives have changed the field of Neurostimulation.

SUMMARY

For many years, tonic SCS was representative of neuromodulation, but as this review examines, the progression of the field in the past decade has reshaped patient options.

Adjacent segment syndrome after failed back surgery: biomechanics, diagnosis, and treatment

The adjacent segment syndrome is defined as the changes in the adjacent structures of an operated spinal level that produce symptoms of pain and disability, which worsen the quality of life of a patient. Pain management specialists must be aware of these biomechanical changes brought by spinal surgeries, as well as of the symptoms associated with pain after surgery, to reach an appropriate diagnosis and provide an adequate treatment. Specialized pain literature contains few reports on specific management of patients using the terms "adjacent segment syndrome, degeneration or disease"; most of the literature comes from surgical journals. It is necessary to perform studies with a population sample comprising patients with adjacent segment syndrome after spinal surgery, since almost all treatments applied in this group are extrapolated from those used in patients with pain originating in the same area but who have not previously undergon spine surgery. Therefore, we consider necessary for pain physicians to understand the underlying biomechanics, promote the diagnosis of this condition, and analyze possible treatments in patients with adjacent segment disease to alleviate their pain and improve their quality of life.

Persistent Spinal Pain Syndrome: A Proposal for Failed Back Surgery Syndrome and ICD-11

Objective

For many medical professionals dealing with patients with persistent pain following spine surgery, the term Failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) as a diagnostic label is inadequate, misleading, and potentially troublesome. It misrepresents causation. Alternative terms have been suggested, but none has replaced FBSS. The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) published a revised classification of chronic pain, as part of the new International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), which has been accepted by the World Health Organization (WHO). This includes the term Chronic pain after spinal surgery (CPSS), which is suggested as a replacement for FBSS.

Methods

This article provides arguments and rationale for a replacement definition. In order to propose a broadly applicable yet more precise and clinically informative term, an international group of experts was established.

Results

14 candidate replacement terms were considered and ranked. The application of agreed criteria reduced this to a shortlist of four. A preferred option—Persistent spinal pain syndrome—was selected by a structured workshop and Delphi process. We provide rationale for using Persistent spinal pain syndrome and a schema for its incorporation into ICD-11. We propose the adoption of this term would strengthen the new ICD-11 classification.

Conclusions

This project is important to those in the fields of pain management, spine surgery, and neuromodulation, as well as patients labeled with FBSS. Through a shift in perspective, it could facilitate the application of the new ICD-11 classification and allow clearer discussion among medical professionals, industry, funding organizations, academia, and the legal profession.

Multicentre, clinical trial of burst spinal cord stimulation for neck and upper limb pain NU-BURST: a trial protocol

BACKGROUND

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an established therapy for chronic neuropathic pain and most frequently utilised for Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS). BurstDR™ also known as DeRidder Burst-SCS, a novel waveform, has demonstrated superiority to conventional tonic stimulation of the thoracic spine in FBSS. There are case reports of an improvement in multidimensional pain outcomes using DeRidder Burst-SCS in the cervical spine for chronic neck and cervical radicular pain. The safety and efficacy of cervical DeRidder Burst-SCS stimulation still however remain undetermined.

METHODS/DESIGN

This is a prospective, multicentre feasibility trial evaluating the safety and therapeutic efficacy of DeRidder Burst-SCS stimulation for the treatment of chronic intractable neck pain with or without radiation to the arm, shoulder, and upper back. After baseline evaluation, subjects will undergo an SCS trial using the Abbott Invisible Trial system according to standard clinical procedures. During the trial phase, SCS leads will be implanted in the cervical epidural space. At the end of the SCS trial, subjects experiencing at least 50% pain relief will be considered for permanent implant. Pain intensity, medication usage, and other multidimensional pain outcomes will be collected. The timing of these will be at baseline, end of the SCS trial and at 3-, 6-, and 12-month visits. Incidence of adverse events will be collected throughout the study duration.

DISCUSSION

The results of this feasibility study will validate the efficacy and safety of DeRidder Burst-SCS stimulation in the cervical spine. The results obtained in this study will potentially be used to generate a level 1 evidence-based study with formal statistical hypotheses testing.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

www.clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT03159169.

10 kHz spinal cord stimulation for chronic upper limb and neck pain: Australian experience

PURPOSE

Intractable upper limb and neck pain has traditionally been a challenging pain condition to treat, with conventional spinal cord stimulation (SCS) often inducing positional variation in paraesthesia and/or inadequate coverage of axial neck pain. The purpose of this Australian multi-centre prospective, clinical trial was to assess the safety and effectiveness of paraesthesia-independent 10 kHz SCS for the treatment of upper limb and neck pain.

METHODS

Subjects with chronic, intractable neck and/or upper limb pain of ≥ 5 cm (on a 0-10-cm visual analogue scale) were enrolled (ACTRN12614000153617) following human research ethics committee approval. Subjects were implanted with two epidural leads spanning C2-C6 vertebral bodies. Subjects with successful trial stimulation were implanted with a Senza^® system (Nevro Corp., Redwood City, CA, USA) and included in the safety and effectiveness evaluation at 3 months post-implant (primary endpoint assessment, PEA) and followed to 12 months.

RESULTS

Overall, 31/38 (82.6%) subjects reported a successful 10 kHz SCS trial and proceeded to a permanent implant. Twenty-three of 30 subjects (76.7%) met the PEA. Subjects reported a reduction in neck pain and upper limb pain from baseline at the PEA (8.1 ± 0.2 cm vs. 2.9 ± 0.5 cm, 7.3 ± 0.3 cm vs. 2.5 ± 0.5 cm, respectively, p ≤ 0.0001). Disability, as measured by pain disability index score, decreased from 42.6 ± 2.6 at baseline to 22.7 ± 3.2 at PEA. Results were maintained 12 months post-implant. No neurological deficits, nor reports of paraesthesia, were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Stable, long-term results demonstrated that 10 kHz SCS is a promising therapy option for intractable chronic upper limb and neck pain.

Retrospective Analysis of Real-World Outcomes of 10 kHz SCS in Patients with Upper Limb and Neck Pain

BACKGROUND

Patients living with chronic upper limb and neck (ULN) pain are reliant on often ineffective therapies as they face limited options for effective long-term treatment.

OBJECTIVE

Prospective clinical studies have demonstrated that high-frequency spinal cord stimulation at 10 kHz (10 kHz SCS) is effective in treating chronic pain in multiple etiologies including ULN pain. This study aimed at validating the findings from clinical studies on ULN in a real-world cohort.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective, observational review.

SETTING

A multicenter review between April 2016 and August 2019.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Anonymized data were extracted from a real-world database of 47 consecutive patients aged ≥18 years of age with chronic upper limb and/or neck pain who were trialed and permanently implanted with 10 kHz SCS. Patient-reported pain relief, quality of life, function, sleep and medication use were extracted from anonymised patient records where available. Responder rates, defined as the proportion of patients with at least 50% pain relief at the end of trial and the last visit after implantation, were calculated.

RESULTS

All patients reported successful response (≥50% pain relief) at the end of trial and >75% patients continued to respond to the therapy at the last follow-up period. Majority (72%) of patients reported improvement in function, about half of the patients (53%) reported improvement in sleep and one-third of the patients (36%) reported reducing their medication at last follow-up.

CONCLUSION

10 kHz SCS provides durable pain relief to patients with chronic upper limb and neck pain.

High-frequency spinal cord stimulation at 10 kHz for widespread pain: a retrospective survey of outcomes from combined cervical and thoracic electrode placements

OBJECTIVE

To report on the long-term outcomes for patients receiving paraesthesia-free high-frequency spinal cord stimulation (HF10-SCS) at 10 kHz for the treatment of combined upper and lower body neuropathic/nociplastic pain syndromes including chronic widespread pain/fibromyalgia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty-five patients with widespread (both upper and lower body) neuropathic/nociplastic pain syndromes underwent a trial of combined cervical and thoracic HF10-SCS leads placed over the C2/T2 or C2/T9 vertebral levels, or three leads placed over the C2/T2/T9 vertebral levels. Thirty-eight patients proceeded to permanent implant, resulting in a trial to implant conversion rate of 84.4%. Patients were followed up an average of 2.3 ± 1.7 years post-permanent implant. Patient outcomes were recorded.

RESULTS

A statistically significant reduction of 3.5 ± 1.6 on the 10-point numerical rating scale (NRS) at 2.3 ± 1.7 years post-permanent implant was observed (baseline: 7.1 ± 0.8 vs. follow up: 3.7 ± 1.3) (p ≤ 001). Likewise, a reduction in disability (Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire) was also observed; baseline: 12.3 ± 5.1 vs. follow up: 7.8 ± 5.9. Similar trends were observed in a working capacity, with 20/31 (64.5%) of the work eligible patients employed at follow-up, compared with only 8/31 (25.8%) at baseline. Opioid pain medication use reduced and over 90% of patients were satisfied with their treatment outcome. No long-term adverse events were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

HF10-SCS at 10 kHz provides long-term widespread pain relief when leads are staggered across the cervical and thoracic spine. The improved return to work outcomes and opiate reductions suggest that cost-effectiveness as well as clinical effectiveness may be achieved with this treatment approach.

Spinal Cord Stimulation for Acute Pain Following Surgery for Cervical Myelopathy: A Novel Treatment Strategy

BACKGROUND

Chronic pain syndromes caused by degenerative and postinfectious changes in the cervical spine continue to pose significant management challenges to neurosurgeons and pain practitioners. The identification of an individualized treatment plan, astute surgical technique, comprehensive and multimodal analgesia, and adequate rehabilitation processes do not necessarily result in diminished pain.

CASE SUMMARY

We present the case of a patient with chronic pain treated surgically for degenerative cervical myelopathy secondary to cervical spinal stenosis. Following this surgery, the patient experienced an intractable postoperative pain syndrome that had anatomical borders, and an intensity and character that were different from the background chronic pain from which he suffered. We successfully implanted a cervical spinal cord stimulation (SCS) lead in the period following his stenosis surgery, which had good therapeutic effect on the postoperative-onset pain. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of SCS having a strong positive effect on an acute exacerbation of neuropathic pain. At follow-up 12 months later, assessment of the patient's pain diary revealed a modal pain intensity of 3/10 on the numeric rating scale over the preceding 3 months. The Brief Pain Inventory (Short Form) scores at this time were 10/40 in the pain severity domain and 18/70 in the interference with function domain, demonstrating the long-term effectiveness of this SCS strategy.

CONCLUSION

While SCS has hitherto been untested as a therapy for acute-onset pain, this report demonstrates its utility as a salvage treatment in select cases of uncontrollable postoperative pain.