Dorsal Root Entry Zone Lesion for Neuropathic Pain Due to Thoracolumbar Spine Fracture: Long-Term Result.

OBJECTIVE

To retrospectively evaluate long-term efficacy and safety of dorsal root entry zone (DREZ) lesion for treatment of neuropathic pain within the lower extremities and perineal region after thoracolumbar spine fracture.

METHODS

Forty-two patients were treated with posterior laminectomy under general anesthesia. The DREZ regions of the spinal cord segments were ablated under a microscope. Data regarding pain relief, pain variation over time, and postoperative complications were collected. The relationship between injured spinal column segment, spinal cord, nerve root, and pain territory were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS

Spinal column injury segments were located between T12 and L4. Pain territories were distributed between the T11 and S5 dermatomes with varying ranges, at an average of 2-6 segments higher than the spinal cord injury segments. Pain relief rate was 100% in 21 patients (50.0%) and was over 50% in 14 patients (33.3%). Eighteen patients (42.9%) developed temporary tingling in the upper edge of the spinal cord lesion segment after surgery. Of the 4 patients with unilateral lower extremity pain, 2 developed postoperative persistent pain in the contralateral lower extremity.

CONCLUSIONS

For patients with neuropathic pain of the lower extremities and/or the perineal region after thoracolumbar spine fracture, pain within the lower extremities was mostly because of nerve root injury. Pain in the perineal region caused by L1 fracture was attributed to spinal cord injury segmental pain. Nerve root injury pain had a good prognosis after DREZ lesion; the effect of DREZ lesion for spinal cord injury segmental pain may be uncertain.