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Spinal cord stimulation for the treatment of chronic knee pain following total knee replacement
Angus M Lowry1, Thomas T Simopoulos
1Balcones Pain Consultants, Austin, TX, USA.
Background:
Chronic pain after total knee replacement is common but remains poorly understood. Management options for patients with this condition are traditionally limited to pharmacological approaches.
Objective:
This article presents a case of using spinal cord stimulation in the management of chronic knee pain following total knee replacement.
Design:
Case report.
Setting:
Pain management clinic
Methods:
A 68-year old patient presented with a 3-year history of persistent knee pain following total knee replacement. After failing to respond to medications and nerve blocks, a trial of spinal cord stimulation and subsequent permanent implantation of a spinal cord stimulator (SCS) were performed. The Oxford knee score (OKS) was used to assess her pain and functionality before and after SCS implantation.
Results:
The patient reported improvement in her pain and function. Her baseline OKS was 39 and fell to 26 one year post implantation of an SCS representing a reduction of pain and disability from severe to moderate.
Limitations:
A case report.
Conclusion:
Spinal cord stimulation might be an option in the management of refractory knee pain following total knee replacement.
