Spinal cord stimulation for the treatment of chronic knee pain following total knee replacement.

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.