Korean J Pain.  2010 Mar;23(1):78-81.

Spontaneous Lead Breakage in Implanted Spinal Cord Stimulation Systems

• Kim TH
• Lee PB
• Son HM
• Choi JB
• Moon JY

Abstract

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has become an established clinical option for treatment of refractory chronic pain. Current hardware and implantation techniques for SCS are already highly developed and continuously improving; however, equipment failures over the course of long-term treatment are still encountered in a relatively high proportion of the cases treated with it. Percutaneous SCS leads seem to be particularly prone to dislocation and insulation failures. We describe our experience of lead breakage in the inserted spinal cord stimulator to a complex regional pain syndrome patient who obtained satisfactory pain relief after the revision of SCS.

Keyword

complication; lead breakage; spinal cord stimulation

MeSH Terms

Chronic Pain
Dislocations
Equipment Failure
Humans
Spinal Cord
Spinal Cord Stimulation

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Radiologic image of the broken lead, which is noted as arrow.

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  Fig. 2 The broken lead.

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