PM&R Meeting Abstracts

Official abstracts site for the AAPM&R Annual Assembly and the PM&R Journal.

MENU 
  • Home
  • Meetings Archive
    • AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2022
    • AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2021
    • AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2020
    • AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2019
  • Resources
  • Advanced Search

Measuring Spinal Cord Stimulator Lead Migrations During Trialing

Edward J. Chang (Western University of Health Sciences COMP, Irvine, California); Edward J. Chang; Eric Y. Chang, MD; Elliot K. Chan, MD; Gilbert Hernandez; Christopher Lee

Meeting: AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2021

Categories: Pain and Spine Medicine (2021)

Session Information

Session Title: AA 2021 Virtual Posters - Pain and Spine Medicine

Session Time: None. Available on demand.

Disclosures: Edward J. Chang:

Objective: A common issue related to Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) trialing is migration of leads from their therapeutic location. Our goal is to investigate the extent of lead migration in patients during a 7-day trial period, with regards to distance and directionality.

Design: Cross-sectional, observational studySetting : An outpatient orthopedic surgery center and pain clinicParticipants : 35 patients who previously underwent SCS trialing from 2015-2020. These patients were diagnosed with cervical or lumbar radiculopathy, complex regional pain syndrome, and post laminectomy pain syndrome.

Interventions: After failing conservative therapies for their respective diagnosis, all patients underwent SCS trialing. Their stimulators were monitored and adjusted for a period of 7 days before undergoing permanent implantations.

Main Outcome Measures: Images from the patients’ fluoroscopic SCS trial implantation and postoperative x-rays were identified and selected for analysis. The left and right leads were located relative to the superior end plate of the target vertebral body, then calculated as a percentage of the vertebral body’s height. This was compared to postoperative imaging during the trialing period. We measured the initial and final lead locations and calculated a migration distance in millimeters based on our measurements of the vertebral body.

Results: Initial lead placement in 77% of the patients were between T7-T9. Of the 35 patients assessed, 30 patients had lead migrations greater than 5mm on both sides during the 7-day period. Average total lead migration was 19.11mm inferiorly (standard deviation of 21.7mm), which correlated to 94.44% of vertebral body height (standard deviation of 105.88).Conclusions: Quantifying lead migrations that occur during trialing will allow clinicians to account for movement and understand how to optimize the desired therapeutic effect of SCS. Future studies that focus on larger populations may help in establishing best practice guidelines for SCS trialing, thus improving overall efficacy.

Level of Evidence: Level IV

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Chang EJ, Chang EJ, Chang EY, Chan EK, Hernandez G, Lee C. Measuring Spinal Cord Stimulator Lead Migrations During Trialing [abstract]. PM R. 2021; 13(S1)(suppl 1). https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/measuring-spinal-cord-stimulator-lead-migrations-during-trialing/. Accessed May 11, 2025.
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

« Back to AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2021

PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/measuring-spinal-cord-stimulator-lead-migrations-during-trialing/

Leading the Way. Baltimore, MD & Virtual. October 20-23, 2022. #aapmr22

PM&R Journal

View issues of PM&R on the Wiley Online Library »

American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Visit the official site for the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation »

AAPM&R Annual Assembly

Visit the official site for the AAPM&R Annual Assembly »

  • Help & Support
  • About Us
  • Cookies & Privacy
  • Wiley Job Network
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Advertisers & Agents
Copyright © 2025 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Wiley