Implantable peripheral nerve stimulation for chronic pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of analgesic outcomes up to 24 months
Pooled result · Change in pain intensity from baselineResult — go to the resultHedges' g 3.08 95% CI 2.68–3.48Authors' conclusion
Implantable PNS provides persistent and clinically meaningful analgesia for chronic pain, with benefits sustained up to 24 months.
Study context
- Population
- Adults (≥18 years) with chronic pain treated with an implantable peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) system
- Participants
- 9,272 adults · 106 studies
- Comparison
- Pain intensity after implantable PNS vs baseline
- Outcome
- Change in pain intensity from baseline
- Follow-up
- 6 months after PNS implantation
Methodological detailsrandom-effects model, GRADE certainty assessment
- Random-effects model
- GRADE certainty assessment
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
6 months
Hedges' g
3.08
95% CI 2.68–3.48
P < 0.001
Pain intensity after implantable PNS vs baseline
Hedges' g 3.08 (95% CI 2.68–3.48); P < 0.001
Further pooled results
Change in pain intensity from baseline · 3 months
| Hedges' g (95% CI) | P value | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| PNSvs baseline | 2.92 (2.62–3.21) | P < 0.001 | |
| −2024Difference (linear scale) |
Change in pain intensity from baseline · 12 months
| Hedges' g (95% CI) | P value | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| PNSvs baseline | 2.68 (2.30–3.05) | P < 0.001 | |
| −2024Difference (linear scale) |
Change in pain intensity from baseline · up to 24 months
| Hedges' g (95% CI) | P value | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| PNSvs baseline | 2.08 (1.68–2.48) | P < 0.001 | |
| −10123Difference (linear scale) |
Pain reduction by study design, device type and funding (subgroup)
- No differences by study design or device type
- Smaller effect sizes in industry-funded studies and those with declared conflicts of interest
Pain reduction by pain location (subgroup)
- Largest effect sizes in pelvic and upper extremity pain; smallest in truncal pain
Original publication
Implantable peripheral nerve stimulation for chronic pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of analgesic outcomes up to 24 months. Reg Anesth Pain Med. Published 5 November 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →