New retrospective data highlighting the Boston Scientific Precision Spectra spinal cord stimulator system demonstrate the device provided sustained and highly significant relief of low-back pain six months after implantation. Results were presented at the World Institute of Pain (WIP) 7th World Congress in Maastricht, The Netherlands May 7-10, 2014.
Precision Spectra is the first spinal cord stimulator system designed to improve pain relief using the innovative and highly advanced Illumina 3D software, a three dimensional anatomy-driven computer model. A key challenge in spinal cord stimulator therapy is stimulating the neural target without stimulating undesired areas. By taking into account the conductivity of 3D anatomical structures and physician placement of the spinal cord stimulator leads, the Illumina 3D software is designed for simple point-and-click pain targeting.
The retrospective study of 213 patients at 13 centres is focused on patients with chronic pain who were treated with the Precision Spectra spinal cord stimulator system. To date, 140 patients have reached six months post-implant. Results include:
•Sustained and highly significant reduction in pain from an average baseline score of 7.15, on a 10-point scale, to an average score of 2.93 at six months post-implant (n=140).
•In those patients with only low-back pain (N=62), sustained and highly significant reduction of low back pain, from an average baseline score of 7.53, on a 10-point scale, to an average of 3.45 at six months post-implant.
•In those patients with severe low back pain (N=38, baseline score of 8 or greater on a 10-point scale), sustained and highly significant reduction in pain, from an average score of 8.78 at baseline to 3.68 at 6 months post-implant.
“The goal of spinal cord stimulation is sustained pain relief, and individuals with chronic back pain are among the most difficult to treat,” says Salim Hayek, chief, Division of Pain Medicine at University Hospitals of Cleveland, USA. “In this study, these retrospective results demonstrate that the Precision Spectra system is maintaining effective therapy for these challenging patients out to six months post-implant.”
Boston Scientific also initiated the full European launch of the Precision Spectra Clinician Programmer, a mobile, touchscreen tablet powered by an Intel Core i5 Processor. The new Precision Spectra Clinician Programmer provides clinicians with a sleek, powerful and easy-to-use device to drive the advanced Illumina 3D Software.
