Highest Ranking Oral Abstracts

Peripheral nerve pain remains one of the most undertreated and misunderstood conditions in medicine. Patients with entrapment neuropathies, neuromas, post-surgical nerve injuries, and refractory neuropathic pain syndromes frequently cycle through multiple specialties without a coordinated treatment plan - accumulating failed interventions, escalating opioid burdens, and diminishing quality of life. Optimal outcomes require fluency across disciplines that rarely share a common clinical language. This panel session unites experts in neurosurgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, pain management, and peripheral neuromodulation researchers to present a unified framework for evaluating and treating complex peripheral nerve pain. Through case-based discussion and cross-specialty dialogue, panelists will address the full therapeutic continuum - from diagnostic nerve blocks and image-guided interventional procedures, to nerve decompression, neuroma excision with modern reconstructive techniques (targeted muscle reinnervation, regenerative peripheral nerve interfaces), and peripheral nerve stimulation - with emphasis on how and when to transition between modalities. Key topics will include: patient selection and workup across specialties; the role of peripheral nerve stimulation as both a diagnostic tool and durable therapy; surgical techniques to prevent and treat neuroma formation; perioperative neuromodulation strategies to facilitate opioid weaning; and recognizing when central sensitization and CRPS alter the treatment algorithm. This session is designed for clinicians across specialties who manage patients with chronic neuropathic pain and nerve injuries. Whether you approach nerve pain from the operating room, the procedure suite, or the clinic, this panel will provide practical, cross-disciplinary insights to improve patient selection, sequencing of care, and long-term outcomes for even the most refractory cases.