Impact of Percutaneous Intercostal Nerve Stimulation Combined With Diaphragm Pacing on Respiratory Function in Cervical Spinal Cord Injury: A Case Report.

In the treatment of respiratory impairment because of cervical spinal cord injury, bilateral implantation of a diaphragmatic pacemaker is considered to be the most effective way to enable patients to achieve independent breathing. However, in patients who can only use unilateral diaphragmatic pacemakers, especially adolescent children, the use of unilateral diaphragmatic pacemakers may have an effect on the productive development of such patients, which can lead to thoracic deformities and a decrease in the efficiency of pacing. This study presents a case of a pediatric patient with high cervical spinal cord injury who underwent unilateral implanted diaphragm pacing (IDP) combined with bilateral percutaneous intercostal nerve stimulation. The results demonstrated that intercostal nerve stimulation led to an increase in tidal volume. After 14 days of treatment and follow-up, a further increase in tidal volume was observed. These findings suggest that percutaneous intercostal nerve stimulation may serve as a viable adjunctive therapy for respiratory rehabilitation in patients with cervical spinal cord injury.