Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41222498›Full record

GuidelinePain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain2026

The Implementation of Persistent Spinal Pain Syndrome (PSPS): Mechanism-Based Recommendations.

Simon Thomson, Brian Simpson, Frank J Huygen, Michael Stanton-Hicks, Richard B North, Giancarlo Barolat, Harriet Scott, Rui V Duarte

Abstract readPractice Guideline
In one paragraph

Guideline in Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. The Implementation of Persistent Spinal Pain Syndrome (PSPS): Mechanism-Based Recommendations.Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain · 2026
    Guideline
  2. Trial
  3. Enhancing Clinical Operability of the PSPS Mechanism-Based Classification.Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Simon ThomsonPain & Neuromodulation Centre, Mid & South Essex University Hospitals, Essex, UK.
Brian SimpsonRetired, Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK.
Frank J HuygenCenter of Pain Medicine, Erasmus MC University Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Michael Stanton-HicksRetired, Staff Consultant, Department of Pain Management, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6707-0212
Richard B NorthRetired, Neurosurgery, Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Giancarlo BarolatBarolat Neuroscience, Presbyterian/St Lukes Medical Center, Denver, Colorado, USA.
Harriet ScottPain & Neuromodulation Centre, Mid & South Essex University Hospitals, Essex, UK.
Rui V DuarteDepartment of Health Data Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6485-7415

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn 2021, the term persistent spinal pain syndrome (PSPS) was introduced. PSPS type 2 (PSPS-T2) replaced the unsatisfactory term failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS). PSPS type 1 (PSPS-T1) is a clinical picture of signs and symptoms of FBSS but without prior surgery. PSPS applies to any spinal level. There are multiple underlying mechanisms and treatments within PSPS. Therapeutic choices are not based on a common nomenclature. One consequence is that the desired outcomes of interventions are not reliably achieved. There is a need to redefine diagnostic clusters of PSPS based on the pain mechanism rather than just anatomic factors or a history of previous surgery. This manuscript provides mechanism-based recommendations to improve treatment selection through the use of the PSPS concept.

methodsAn international task force of pain and neurosurgical specialists was established and met at the International Neuromodulation Society Congress 2024, at the North American Neuromodulation Society Congress 2024, and online.

resultsAn overview of classification systems (i.e., PSPS; P), anatomical structure (A), neural mechanism (M), and degree of certainty (C), is discussed and combined to generate a novel categorization approach to assist with PSPS classification and diagnosis. The PAMC scale was developed to assist with the diagnosis clustering and consequently to improve treatment selection.

conclusionThe proposed recommendations should support future research by better defining study populations and by assisting the clinician to select the appropriate therapy.

Indexed as

Back PainFailed Back Surgery SyndromeHumansinternational classification of diseasemultifidus nerve stimulationpain mechanismspersistent spinal pain syndromeradiofrequency ablationspinal cord stimulationspinal surgery

Identifiers

PMID41222498
PMCPMC12611182

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.