Table 1.
Study characteristics
| Study | Country | Groups and interventions | n | Injection route | Cause of pain | Follow-up (weeks) | Main outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apalla et al (2013)8 | Greece | 1. 100 U BTX-A 2. 0.9% saline |
15 15 |
Subcutaneous | Postherpetic neuralgia | 20 | Pain VAS scores, sleep scores, injection pain |
| Attal et al (2016)9 | France | 1. Up to 300 U BTX-A 2. 0.9% saline |
34 32 |
Subcutaneous | Peripheral neuropathic pain | 24 | Pain NRS scores, NPSI, HAD, quality of sleep, hours of sleep, PGIC, injection pain |
| Finlayson et al (2011)10 | Canada | 1. 75 U BTX-A 2. 0.9% saline |
20 18 |
Intramuscular | Thoracic outlet syndrome | 24 | Pain VAS scores, DASH, SF-36 questionnaire |
| Fishman et al (2017)11 | US | 1. 300 U BTX-A 2. 0.9% saline |
28 28 |
Intramuscular | Piriformis syndrome | 12 | Pain VAS scores, posterior tibial or fibular H-reflexes in flexion, injection pain |
| Han et al (2016)12 | South Korea | 1. 200 U BTX-A 2. 0.9% saline |
20 Subcutaneous 20 |
Spinal cord injury | 8 | Pain VAS scores, SF-MPQ, quality of life, injection pain | |
| Ranoux et al (2008)13 | France | 1. Up to 200 U BTX-A 2. 0.9% saline |
15 14 |
Intradermal | Chronic neuropathic pain | 24 | Pain VAS scores, NPSI, BPI, HAD, PGIC, injection pain |
| Shehata et al (2013)14 | Egypt | 1. 100 U BTX-A 2. 0.9% saline |
10 10 |
Subcutaneous | Trigeminal neuralgia | 12 | Pain VAS scores, paroxysms frequency, quality of life, facial asymmetry, hematoma, itching, injection pain |
| Wu et al (2012)15 | China | 1. 75 U BTX-A 2. 0.9% saline |
22 20 |
Intradermal and/or submucosal | Trigeminal neuralgia | 13 | Pain VAS scores, PGIC, paroxysms frequency, facial asymmetry, transient edema |
| Xiao et al (2010)16 | China | 1. 100 U BTX-A 2. 0.9% saline |
20 20 |
Subcutaneous | Postherpetic neuralgia | 12 | Pain VAS scores, quality of life, hours of sleep, opioid usage, injection pain |
| Yuan et al (2009)17 | China | 1. 50 U BTX-A 2. 0.9% saline |
9 9 |
Intradermal | Diabetic neuropathic pain | 12 | Pain VAS scores, CPSQI, SF-36 questionnaire |
| Zhang et al (2014)18 | China | 1. 25 U BTX-A 2. 75 U BTX-A 3. 0.9% saline |
25 28 27 |
Intradermal and/or submucosal | Trigeminal neuralgia | 9 | Pain VAS scores, PGIC, paroxysms frequency, proportion of responders, facial asymmetry, transient edema |
| Zúñiga et al (2013)19 | Argentina | 1. 50 U BTX-A 2. 0.9% saline |
20 16 |
Subcutaneously | Trigeminal neuralgia | 12 | Pain VAS scores, functional impact scores, SF-36 questionnaire, paroxysms, hematoma, facial asymmetry |
Abbreviations: BPI, Brief Pain Inventory; BTX-A, botulinum toxin-A; CPSQI, Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; DASH, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand; HAD, Hospital Anxiety and Depression; NPSI, Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory; NRS, numerical rating scale; PGIC, Patient Global Impression of Change; SF-36, Short-Form 36; SF-MPQ, Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire; VAS, visual analog scale.