Open AccessA multicenter real‐world review of 10 kH z SCS outcomes for treatment of chronic trunk and/or limb pain
Author(s) -
Stauss Thomas,
El Majdoub Faycal,
Sayed Dawood,
Surges Gernot,
Rosenberg William S.,
Kapural Leonardo,
Bundschu Richard,
Lalkhen Abdul,
Patel Nileshkumar,
Gliner Bradford,
Subbaroyan Jeyakumar,
Rotte Anand,
Edgar Deborah R.,
Bettag Martin,
Maarouf Mohammad
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
annals of clinical and translational neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.824
H-Index - 42
ISSN - 2328-9503
DOI - 10.1002/acn3.720
Subject(s) - medicine , randomized controlled trial , quality of life (healthcare) , trunk , observational study , chronic pain , concomitant , physical therapy , anesthesia , ecology , nursing , biology
Objectives High‐frequency spinal cord stimulation ( HF ‐ SCS ) at 10 kH z has proven to be efficacious in the treatment of chronic back and leg pain in a randomized, controlled, trial ( SENZA ‐ RCT ). However, large observational studies have yet to be published. Therefore, we performed a real‐world, multicenter, retrospective, review of therapy efficacy in 1660 patients with chronic trunk and/or limb pain. Methods Data were collected in a real‐world environment and retrospectively sourced from a global database. Included patients were trialed and/or permanently implanted with HF ‐ SCS at 10 kH z between April 2014 and January 2018. We evaluated responder rates at 3, 6, and 12 months post‐implantation. Response was defined as ≥50% pain relief from baseline. A last visit analysis included responder rate along with overall change in function, sleep, quality of life, and medication intake versus baseline. Results Eighty‐four percent of our HF ‐ SCS ‐treated patients had both chronic back and leg pain. At least 70% of patients reported response to therapy throughout 12 months of follow‐up. This sustained responder rate was corroborated by the last visit value (74.1%). Most patients reported concomitant improvements in function (72.3%), sleep (68.0%), and quality of life (90.3%) at their last visit versus baseline. Thirty‐two percent of patients reported decreased medication intake at their last visit. Interpretation Sustained and effective pain relief was experienced by >70% of our HF ‐ SCS ‐treated patients, consistent with the findings of a previously published randomized, controlled, trial. Our review provides complementary evidence to support the treatment of chronic back and leg pain with this therapy.