Transplantation Strategies for the Treatment of Pain

TL;DRAbstract

The management of chronic pain syndromes presents a difficult challenge, and a recent release from the American Chronic Pain Association indicates that the problem is far from being resolved with currently available therapeutic regimens. Numerous neurosurgical, physiological, psychological, and pharmacologic approaches have been attempted (1), often with conflicting or disappointing outcomes in the long run. It has been estimated that 80% of all patients who consult physicians do so for pain problems, and nearly 100 million Americans suffer from some form of chronic pain. Included in this group are more than 8 million Americans who are permanently disabled by back pain, with 65,000 new cases/yr, and 30–50 million arthritics in the US, with 600,000 new cases/yr. Furthermore, some of the most severe chronic pain disorders are those associated with peripheral or central nerve lesions, estimated to include over one million Americans. Examples include trigeminal neuralgia, postherpetic neur

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