• Maarten Moens, Ann De Smedt, Raf Brouns, Herbert Spapen, Steven Droogmans, Johnny Duerinck, Jan D'Haese, Jean D'Haens, and Bart Nuttin.
• Department of Neurosurgery, UZ Brussel, Brussels, Belgium. mtmoens@gmail.com
• World Neurosurg. 2011 Sep 1;76(3-4):352-4; discussion 268-9.

ObjectiveSpinal cord stimulation is an effective treatment for chronic neuropathic pain after spinal surgery. In addition to the most common placement of electrodes at the thoracic level for low back and leg pain, electrodes can also be placed on a cervical level in patients with chronic neck and upper limb pain. Surgical insertion of plate electrodes via an orthodromal direction requires a partial laminectomy. Therefore, the authors describe a surgical technique using retrograde insertion of a plate electrode to avoid laminectomy.MethodsSix patients with uncontrolled neck and upper limb pain despite optimal analgesic medication were treated with a surgical electrode placed at the C1-C2 level via a retrograde placement technique without laminectomy.ResultsAll patients received stimulation paresthesias at the desired regions and reported significant pain reduction in the neck and arm regions.ConclusionThis retrograde placement of plate electrodes enables cervical lordosis to be overcome and results in adequate stimulation of the upper cervical region, which is mandatory to reduce neck and shoulder pain without laminectomy.Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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