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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Neuromodulation. 2017 Oct 4;21(1):106–113. doi: 10.1111/ner.12697

Table 2.

Bivariable Analysis of Patient Factors and Pain Medication Use on SCS Outcome.

50% reduction in pain with trial
Trial responders
50% reduction in pain at one
year Implant pain responders
50% reduction in opioid use at one year
Implant opioid responders
Positive
(n = 97)
Negative
(n = 18)
p-value Positive
(n = 34)
Negative
(n = 57)
p-value Positive
(n = 26)
Negative
(n = 65)
p-value
Age 51.92 (12.74) 43.00 (12.91) 0.01 54.24 (13.50) 51.35 13.24) 0.32 49.82 (13.53) 58.96 (10.46) 0.01
Male 53 (54.64%) 9 (47.37%) 0.56 17 (50.00%) 34 (59.65%) 0.98 34 (52.31%) 17 (65.38%) 0.26
Female 44 (44.36%) 9 (47.37%) 0.87 17 (50.00%) 23 (40.35%) 0.98 31 (47.69%) 9 (34.62%) 0.26
BMI (kg/m2) 29.79 (6.15) 27.33 (7.20) 0.13 30.28 (5.23%) 28.96 (6.48%) 0.33 30.13 (6.42) 27.9 (4.80) 0.12
Pain Descriptors
  Duration of Pain (years) 7.41 (7.75) 9.53 (7.57) 0.30 5.98 (6.23) 9.34 (8.99) 0.06 8.62 (8.62) 6.94 (7.19) 0.38
  Burning 42 (43.30%) 7 (36.84%) 0.60 13 (38.24%) 25 (43.85% 0.60 26 (40.00% 12 (46.15%) 0.59
  Sharp 23 (23.71%) 4 (21.05%) 0.80 11 (32.35%) 13 (22.81%) 0.14 17 (26.15%) 7 (26.92%) 0.94
  Shooting 22 (22.68%) 4 (21.05%) 0.88 11 (32.35%) 8 (14.04%) 0.31 17 (26.15%) 2 (7.69%) 0.05
  Electrical 7 (7.22%) 2 (10.53%) 0.62 3 (8.82%) 4 (7.02%) 0.19 5 (7.69%) 2 (7.69%) 1.00
  Achy 21 (21.65%) 0 0.25 9 (26.47%) 11 (19.30%) 0.42 15 (23.08%) 5 (19.23%) 0.69
NRS-11 Prior to SCS Trial 7.72 (1.86) 7.47 (2.06) 0.60 8.25 (1.59) 7.54 (1.85) 0.07 8.40 (1.46) 7.57 (1.86) 0.04
Number of Prior Surgeries At the Site of Pain 2.74 (3.74) 1.16 (1.26) 0.07* 3 (3.92) 2.51 (3.48) 0.54* 2.82 (4.02) 2.38 (2.48) 0.61*
Pharmacologic Profile
  MEQ (mg) mean 103.43 (203.38) 62.03 (88.29) 0.39* 115.06 (257.51) 98.59 (172.16) 0.64* 131.39 (237.88) 38.13 (53.19) 0.05*
  MEQ (mg) median (IQR) 48 (8, 135) 7.5 (0, 90) 105 (56, 225) 60 (30, 180) 67.5 (20, 247.5) 60 (40,154)
  Opioid Use % 75 (77.31%) 11 (61.11%) 0.15 22 (64.71%) 40 (70.17%) 0.52 26 (100%) 36 (55.38%) 0.01
  SSRI 20 (20.62%) 3 (15.79%) 0.63 8 (23.53%) 10 (17.54%) 0.22 12 (18.46%) 6 (23.08%) 0.62
  SNRI 27 (27.84%) 7 (36.84%) 0.43 8 (23.53%) 17 (29.82%) 0.26 19 (29.23%) 6 (23.08) 0.55
  TCA 22 (22.68%) 5 (26.32%) 0.73 9 (26.47%) 10 (17.54%) 0.10 16 (24.62%) 3 (11.54%) 0.17
  Gabapentin/Pregabalin 52 (53.61%) 15 (78.95%) 0.04 14 (41.18%) 33 (57.89%) 0.12 33 (50.77%) 14 (53.85%) 0.79
  Baclofen 5 (5.15%) 0 0.31 2 (5.88%) 2 (3.51%) 0.59 3 (4.63%) 1 (3.85%) 0.87
  Benzodiazepine 25 (25.77%) 5 (26.32%) 0.96 8 (23.53%) 14 (24.56%) 0.91 14 (23.08%) 7 (26.92%) 0.70
Trial Characteristics
  Trial Duration (days) 3.89 (1.47) 3.44 (2.01) 0.27

Measured as the difference between baseline NRS-11 pain score and NRS-11 pain score at one year divided by baseline NRS-11 Pain score e.g. (baseline—one year)/baseline.

All patients on Baclofen had 50% pain reduction with a trial of SCS and were able to reduce opioid consumption by 50% preventing an Odds Ratio from being generated. This was omitted form these analyses.

*

Indicates use of a nonparametric Mann-Whitey U test for comparison of groups.

Converted to equivalent mg of oral morphine. Measured as the difference between baseline opioid use and opioid use at 1 year divided by baseline opioid use e.g. (baseline—one year)/baseline.

CI, confidence interval; OR, odds ratio; SSRI, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor; SNRI, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor; TCA, tricyclic antidepressant.