Three‐Year Outcomes After Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation in the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain After Peripheral Nerve Injury of Upper and Lower Extremities

Objectives Traumatic peripheral nerve injuries (PNI) often result in severe neuropathic pain which typically becomes chronic, is recalcitrant to common analgesics, and is associated with sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression. Pharmacological treatments proven to be effective against neuropathic pain are not well tolerated due to side effects. Neuromodulative interventions such as peripheral nerve or spinal cord stimulation have generated mixed results and may be limited by reduced somatotopic specificity. Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation may be more effective in this etiology. Materials and Methods Twenty‐seven patients were trialed with a DRG neurostimulation system for PNI; trial success (defined as ≥50% pain relief) was 85%, and 23 patients received a permanent stimulator. However, 36‐month outcome data was only available for 21 patients. Pain, quality of life, mental and physical function, and opioid usage were assessed at baseline and at 3‐, 6‐, 12‐, 18‐, 24‐, and 36 months post‐permanent implant. Implant‐related complications were also documented. Results Compared to baseline, we observed a significant pain relief (p