Prophylactic Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interfaces to Prevent Postamputation Pain (original) (raw)

A n estimated 185,000 limb amputations are performed in the United States annually, 1 and a total of 3.6 million people are projected to be living with major limb loss by the year 2050. 2 Amputation of a major limb often results in painful and disabling sensory experiences. 3 Unfortunately, for many of these individuals, this pain results in the inability to wear a prosthesis 4 and an overall decreased quality of life. 5 Postamputation pain can be categorized into two distinct categories: phantom limb pain and residual limb pain. Phantom limb pain is characterized by painful sensations perceived in the missing limb after amputation and has been reported to occur in as many as 85 percent of amputees. 3,6,7 The exact cause of phantom limb pain has been debated for many decades and is likely a combination of central nervous system changes, peripheral conditions, and psychological factors. 8,9 Residual limb pain is experienced in the remaining portion of the limb after amputation. Residual limb pain is frequently attributed to postsurgical causes such as bone spurs, infection or, more commonly, neuromas. Neuromas are an inevitable sequela of major nerve injury or transection, and clinically