Editor-in-Chief: Alaa Abd-Elsayed, MD, PhD
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BACKGROUND: The axillary nerve is one of the most common peripheral nerve of the shoulder to be injured. If a patient does not desire invasive surgical intervention, then other options, such as neurostimulation, should be explored. Until recently, there were no specific devices for peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS), and the hardware for spinal cord stimulation was used, but these systems were powered by an implantable battery, which can be difficult to use for PNS. Externally powered systems are the ideal technology to target peripheral nerves.
CASE REPORT: A 67-year-old man presented with chronic right shoulder pain after multiple surgeries following a fracture. It was determined that the patient would not likely benefit from any further surgical interventions, and thus the patient was referred to pain management for further evaluation. The decision was made to trial the patient for PNS of the right axillary nerve.
RESULTS: The patient reported drastically reduced pain (pain reduction of approximately 90% at 6-month follow-up). Activities of daily living, quality of life, sleep, and range of motion were also all improved at 6 months after the permanent implant procedure.
CONCLUSIONS: Subthreshold, externally powered PNS at the axillary nerve was a successful choice for a patient suffering from chronic shoulder pain after multiple surgical interventions.
KEY WORDS: Peripheral nerve stimulation, shoulder pain, axillary nerve, externally powered stimulation
