Peripheral Nerve Stimulation for Treatment of Painful Osteoarthritis of the Knee: A Case Report

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritic knee (OAk) pain is common, yet the standard of care often yields unsatisfactory pain relief. There remains a role for novel treatment options. Percutaneous motor peripheral nerve stimulation (mPNS) of the knee is a novel minimally invasive procedure that stimulates motor end points leading to muscle contraction associated with the painful joint. Pain relief is hypothesized to be achieved through central pain modulation. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a patient who experienced refractory osteoarthritic knee pain after 9 months of conservative care. Following 7 weeks of mPNS treatment, the patient achieved improvement in OAk pain relief and activities of daily living as measured by notable improvements in the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score at 8- and 12-weeks postimplant. The Patient Global Impression of Change at the end of stimulation was much improved. CONCLUSION: Motor PNS may offer a safe and effective treatment alternative for chronic refractory pain related to OAk. KEY WORDS: Osteoarthritis, knee, pain, peripheral nerve stimulation