title: "MAST" prospective study: value of minimal access spine technologies technique for multicolumn spinal cord stimulation surgical lead implantation in the context of a French multicentre randomized controlled trial (ESTIMET study).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment for postoperative persistent leg pain after spine surgery, but treatment of the back pain component remains much more difficult, as it comprises mixed neuropathic and mechanical pain mechanisms. Moreover, these patients could present damaged tissues at the site of SCS lead implantation as a result of previous spine surgery. It can therefore be logically assumed that minimizing the surgical invasiveness of SCS implantation would be beneficial for these patients. Several studies have demonstrated the value of Minimal Access Spine Technologies (MAST) in spine surgery, but only a few case reports have been published concerning the use of MAST techniques for SCS. Therefore, we were prompted to conduct a second ESTIMET ancillary study to prospectively analyse the potential impact and benefits of MAST technique during SCS lead implantation versus an open surgical approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a multicentre, comparative, ancillary study conducted in 61 patients among the 115 enrolled patients ESTIMET study. One arm comprises patients undergoing multicolumn lead implantation via a Conventional Open Approach (COA) and the other arm comprises patients implanted by a MAST approach. Patients will be followed for 12 months after lead implantation. The following data will be collected: elevation of muscle enzymes (serum CPK), scar size, blood loss, infection rate, operating time and global, leg, back and scar NPRS.
  
  
  METHODS
  The first patient of this ancillary study was enrolled on 21 May 2012 and recruitment has now been achieved. Primary endpoint findings are expected to be available in 2015.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Minimally invasive techniques have now been used for spine surgery for the past 12 years, and could also be useful in the context of SCS lead implantation, especially in patients with chronic back pain prior to implantation.
authors.affiliation: N(3)Lab (Neuromodulation & Neural Networks), Poitiers University Hospital, 2, rue de la Milétrie, 86021 Poitiers cedex, France. Electronic address: olivier.monlezun@chu-poitiers.fr.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Monlezun
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Colmar Hospital, 68000 Colmar, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Voirin
authors.affiliation: N(3)Lab (Neuromodulation & Neural Networks), Poitiers University Hospital, 2, rue de la Milétrie, 86021 Poitiers cedex, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roulaud
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Poitiers University Hospital, 86000 Poitiers, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ingrand
authors.affiliation: N(3)Lab (Neuromodulation & Neural Networks), Poitiers University Hospital, 2, rue de la Milétrie, 86021 Poitiers cedex, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Veyrieras
authors.affiliation: N(3)Lab (Neuromodulation & Neural Networks), Poitiers University Hospital, 2, rue de la Milétrie, 86021 Poitiers cedex, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brandet
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Spine-Neurostimulation Unit, Poitiers University Hospital, 86000 Poitiers, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bataille
authors.affiliation: N(3)Lab (Neuromodulation & Neural Networks), Poitiers University Hospital, 2, rue de la Milétrie, 86021 Poitiers cedex, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guetarni
authors.affiliation: N(3)Lab (Neuromodulation & Neural Networks), Poitiers University Hospital, 2, rue de la Milétrie, 86021 Poitiers cedex, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prévost
authors.affiliation: N(3)Lab (Neuromodulation & Neural Networks), Poitiers University Hospital, 2, rue de la Milétrie, 86021 Poitiers cedex, France; Department of Neurosurgery, Spine-Neurostimulation Unit, Poitiers University Hospital, 86000 Poitiers, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rigoard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D023381:Endpoint Determination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D019990:Perioperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D062187:Spinal Cord Stimulation / Q000191:economics* / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Approche du rachis par voie mini-invasive; Chirurgie du rachis; Chronic pain; Douleur chronique; Failed back surgery syndrome; Laminectomie; Laminectomy; Lombo-radiculalgies chroniques postopératoires; Minimal access spine technologies approach; Multicolumn Spinal cord stimulation; Spine surgery; Stimulation médullaire multi-colonnes