System and method for treatment of pain related to limb joint replacement surgery

Abstract

It has been discovered that pain felt in a given region of the body can be treated by stimulating a peripheral nerve at a therapeutically effective distance from the region where pain is felt to generate a comfortable sensation (i.e., paresthesia) overlapping the regions of pain. A method has been developed to reduce pain in a painful region following limb joint replacement by stimulating a peripheral nerve innervating the painful region with an electrode inserted into tissue and spaced from the peripheral nerve. This method may be used to help alleviate postoperative pain in patients following total knee arthroplasty surgery or other limb joint replacement surgeries.

1 . An electrical stimulation device comprising:
 at least one percutaneous lead adapted for insertion within tissue of an animal body; and   a pulse generator operatively coupled with the at least one lead, wherein the pulse generator is configured to stimulate at least one nerve innervating a region of pain following a limb joint replacement surgery.   
     
     
         2 . The electrical stimulation device of  claim 1 , wherein the limb joint replacement surgery is a total knee arthroplasty. 
     
     
         3 . The electrical stimulation device of  claim 1 , wherein the limb joint replacement surgery, including, without limitation, total and partial limb joint replacement, is selected from a group consisting of: a shoulder, elbow, wrist, finger joint, hip, knee, ankle and toe joint. 
     
     
         4 . The electrical stimulation device of  claim 1 , wherein stimulating the at least one nerve results in paresthesia to the painful region. 
     
     
         5 . The electrical stimulation device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one nerve is selected from a group consisting of a femoral nerve, a sciatic nerve, lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, and an obturator nerve. 
     
     
         6 . The electrical stimulation device of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one nerve includes the branches therefrom. 
     
     
         7 . The electrical stimulation device of  claim 1 , wherein the stimulation will not block motor or sensory function of a limb. 
     
     
         8 . A kit for treatment of pain following limb joint replacement surgery, the kit comprising:
 a needle insertable into an animal body tissue;   at least one percutaneous electrode lead operatively inserted into the needle, wherein the needle and at least one percutaneous lead are inserted into an insertion point of the animal body, whereby the needle is removable from the animal body tissue and the at least one percutaneous electrode lead is retained within the animal body; and   a pulse generator operatively coupled with the at least one electrode lead, wherein the pulse generator is configured to stimulate at least one nerve innervating a region of pain following a limb joint replacement surgery.   
     
     
         9 . The kit of  claim 8 , further comprising a test needle. 
     
     
         10 . The kit of  claim 8 , wherein the needle is an introducer needle. 
     
     
         11 . The kit of  claim 8 , further comprising an anchor attached to the at least one electrode lead, the anchor configured to operatively retain the at least one electrode lead at the insertion point during withdrawal of the needle from the animal body. 
     
     
         12 . The kit of  claim 8 , wherein the limb joint replacement surgery is wherein the limb joint replacement surgery is selected from a group consisting of: a shoulder, elbow, wrist, finger joint, hip, knee, ankle and toe joint. 
     
     
         13 . The kit of  claim 8 , wherein the stimulation will not block motor or sensory function of the at least one nerve. 
     
     
         14 . The kit of  claim 8 , wherein stimulating the at least one nerve results in paresthesia in at least a portion of the painful region. 
     
     
         15 . The kit of  claim 12 , wherein the paresthesia generally relieves pain in the painful region. 
     
     
         16 . The kit of  claim 12 , wherein locating the insertion point resulting in paresthesia to the painful region does not require verbal feedback from a patient.