Noting that questions remain about how to best treat neuromas and severed nerves in people with amputations, specifically trauma-related amputations, researchers conducted a systematic review to investigate outcomes following targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) for this population. The preliminary evidence indicated that TMR was effective for preventing or treating pain in patients after trauma-related amputations, whether the surgery was performed in the acute setting at the time of amputation or later, the researchers concluded.
The reviewed studies were classified based on several criteria: primary or secondary TMR and relevant outcomes, including the person’s ability to use a prosthesis; post-TMR opioid use; Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System scores for phantom limb pain and residual limb pain; and overall pain resolution/reduction.
The researchers’ analysis found that most patients experienced neuroma pain resolution (86.2 percent) and overall pain reduction/resolution (90.7 percent).
The open-access study, “Targeted muscle reinnervation for trauma-related amputees: A systematic review,” was published in Cureus.
