Epidural ketamine in post spinal cord injury-related chronic pain

This study was to identify the safety and efficacy of adding epidural N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists (ketamine) to oral gabapentin for the treatment of post spinal cord injury-related chronic pain.

Forty patients in the age range of 18-50 years with a diagnosis of neuropathic pain secondary to spinal cord injury were randomized into two equal groups. Group I received 0.2 mg/Kg of preservative-free ketamine (2 ml) single bolus epidural injection and gabapentin 300 mg three times daily. Group II received isotonic saline 0.9% (2 ml) single bolus epidural injection and gabapentin 300 mg three times daily. Pain scores were evaluated pre-injection, 7, 15, 30,45 and 60 days post injection. Patients were asked about any side-effects occurred during follow-up period.

At all time points examined, pain scores were significantly lower in both groups than pre-injection values (P < 0.0001). Pain scores were significantly lower in Group I than in Group II at 7, 15, 30 days after injection (P 0.02, < 0.0001, =0.0001 respectively), but no statistically significant difference was detected between groups at 45, 60 days post injection (P = 0.54, =0.25), there was no statistically significant difference regarding incidence of side-effects in both groups.

Epidurally administrated ketamine seems to be a safe adjunct to gabapentin in post spinal cord injury-related chronic pain. However, its analgesic efficacy was limited to 30 days after injection.