Change in opioid use following spinal cord stimulation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Chronic pain is a leading cause of disability, and many affected patients rely on long-term opioid therapy despite its unfavorable adverse effect profile. Spinal cord stimulation is an established therapy for chronic pain that may secondarily reduce opioid consumption by providing sustained analgesia.

To quantify changes in opioid use following spinal cord stimulation implantation for the treatment of chronic pain through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

We conducted a comprehensive search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Scopus from each database's inception to July 1, 2024.

We included studies describing patients who underwent spinal cord stimulator implantation for the treatment of chronic pain. A total of 2,784 potential studies were identified and screened by multiple independent reviewers, yielding a final total of 43 studies included in the systematic review.

Data extraction was completed by multiple independent reviewers following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis and Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. A random effects model with Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman adjustment was used to estimate pooled estimates. Certainty assessment was performed following the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework.

The primary outcomes were change in continuous opioid use (ie, morphine milligram equivalent (MME)) and categorical opioid use (yes/no) from preimplantation to 12 months following spinal cord stimulator implantation.

Meta-analysis of 12 month continuous MME use comprising 22 study comparisons (1,666 individuals) revealed a weighted mean difference of -18.06 MME (95% CI -24.41 to -11.70; 95% prediction interval -38.29 to 2.17; p<0.001). Meta-analysis of categorical opioid use at 12 months comprising 24 study comparisons (1,527 individuals) revealed an OR of 0.47 (95% CI 0.30 to 0.75; 95% prediction interval 0.10 to 2.11; p=0.003), signifying lower odds of opioid continuation.

Spinal cord stimulation is associated with reduced opioid dose consumption and increased odds of opioid cessation at 12 months postimplantation compared with baseline in patients with chronic pain; however, both of these conclusions are supported by evidence of very low GRADE certainty.

CRD42024574921.