Spinal cord stimulation in patients with a battered root syndrome.

Sixteen patients suffering from pain due to a "battered" root syndrome (BRS) [1] were treated with spinal cord stimulation (SCS). All patients had undergone spinal surgery and complained of severe intractable radicular pain. The myelograms revealed an amputated root, the computerized tomograms showed periradicular scar tissues, electromyograms and/or sensory evoked potentials showed pathological changes. Electrical root stimulation via an indwelling, Teflon-coated needle reduced pain significantly within 30 min (80-100 Hz, 0.2-0.3 V). Root blocks with 1 ml bupivacaine (0.5%) abolished the patient's pain completely. No patient revealed major psychosomatic or psychosocial problems. Employing this patient selection schedule, 75% of the patients were pain-free after a mean follow-up period of 16 months range 6-30.