Global Burden of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in At-Risk Populations: Estimates of Prevalence From 35 Countries Between 1993 and 2023
Authors' conclusion
This study provides a benchmark of the global prevalence of CRPS, which anesthesiologists and pain specialists can use to prioritize early diagnosis and identify those at the highest risk for CRPS.
Study context
- Population
- Individuals at higher risk of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) after an inciting event (eg, fracture, surgery), particularly posttraumatic and postsurgical patients, worldwide (35 countries)
- Outcome
- Prevalence of CRPS after an inciting event
- Follow-up
- 12 months and 24 months
Methodological detailsrandom-effects model, double-arcsine transformation, subgroup analysis and meta-regression
- Random-effects model
- Double-arcsine transformation
- Subgroup analysis and meta-regression
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Pooled global prevalence of CRPS
12-month prevalence
3.04%
95% CI 2.64–3.48
24-month prevalence
6.46%
95% CI 5.46–7.53
Further pooled results
12-month prevalence by subgroup (subgroup)
- Higher in countries with high human development index (HDI) vs medium or very high HDI
- Higher with traumatic inciting injury only vs surgical only or traumatic/surgical injury
- Higher in prospective vs retrospective studies
Publication year (meta-regression) · 12 months
- Publication year a significant moderator; more recent articles reported lower 12-month prevalence
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
Global Burden of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in At-Risk Populations: Estimates of Prevalence From 35 Countries Between 1993 and 2023. Anesth Analg. Published 14 November 2025. doi:10.
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