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Updated: Aug 9, 2026
03:53
Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interface: Surgical Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial in Postamputation Pain
Published on: March 15, 2024
[The relationship between phantom limb pain and neuroma]
Doğan Bek1, Bahtiyar Demiralp, Mahmut Kömürcü
1Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology (Ortopedi ve Travmatoloji Anabilim Dali), Gülhane Military School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
Acta Orthopaedica Et Traumatologica Turcica
|May 2, 2006
Summary
Exploratory neurectomy effectively treated phantom limb pain (PLP) and neuroma symptoms in amputees. All patients experienced complete pain relief and neuroma symptom resolution after the surgical procedure.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Pain Management
- Amputee Care
Background:
- Phantom limb pain (PLP) and neuroma are common complications following extremity amputation.
- Neuromas can cause significant pain and discomfort, often exacerbated by prosthesis use or palpation.
- Previous treatments for PLP and neuroma have shown variable success rates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of exploratory neurectomy in managing phantom limb pain (PLP) and symptomatic neuromas in amputees.
- To assess the long-term outcomes of neurectomy for post-amputation pain and neuroma-related symptoms.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 14 patients with post-traumatic extremity amputations, PLP, and neuroma findings underwent exploratory neurectomy.
- Patients reported varying intensities of PLP, with a mean Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score of 8.4 pre-operatively.
- The mean follow-up period after surgery was 71.5 months.
Main Results:
- Exploratory neurectomy resulted in complete resolution of phantom limb pain (PLP) in all treated patients.
- Neuroma-related symptoms, including electric shock sensations, completely disappeared post-surgery.
- Post-operative VAS scores for PLP were 0 in all patients, indicating complete pain relief.
Conclusions:
- Exploratory neurectomy is a highly effective treatment for phantom limb pain (PLP) and associated neuromas in amputees.
- The study suggests that proximal nerve division with retraction into soft tissue is crucial for preventing post-amputation neuromas and PLP.
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