Spinal cord stimulation for axial low back pain: a prospective controlled trial comparing 16-contact insulated electrodes with 4-contact percutaneous electrodes.

Use of multicontact electrodes and programmable implanted pulse generators has increased the efficacy of spinal cord stimulation for pain. Some investigators find dual column electrodes advantageous for difficult-to-treat axial low back pain, but we have reported significantly improved measures with a single percutaneous midline electrode vs. dual percutaneous electrodes and even better results with an insulated, 1 × 4, midline electrode.