Poster Structure

Targeted Muscle Reinnervation for neuropathic pain in amputees

This is a piece of secondary research I carried out at Harvard University during my elective. I was lucky enough to present this work at the Plastic Surgery Conference at the Royal Society of Medicine. Click here to have a look at the poster including a full list of the references. This should give you a good idea of how to structure a poster.

Click here to have a look at the video I submitted for a national surgical competition.

Problem 

Amputations are unfortunately necessitated annually in over a million people worldwide for various indications ranging from trauma, tumors, ischemia to diabetic complications. Following amputation, patients are faced with several challenges as they undergo rehabilitation. One major challenge posed is that of post-amputation pain, which adds to the physical and psychological morbidity associated with amputation. Unfortunately, the majority of the first-line, traditional medical and surgical treatments available are not consistently or universally effective. 

Solution

One surgical candidate that has shown promising results is targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR). TMR reduces post-amputation neuropathic pain superior to current surgical standards and improves prosthesis use, with new promising evidence for pre-emptive therapy. The technique involves excision of the sensory neuroma, which is often the main culprit of the post-amputation neuropathic pain, followed by coaptation of the proximal ends of the cut sensory nerves to the cut motor nerves of nearby dennervated muscle targets. This aims to prevent neuroma reformation and provide long-term analgesia. 

Summary

Care of amputees suffering from severe, debilitating neuropathic pain should involve a multi-disciplinary, combined approach. Novel surgical techniques such as targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) and regenerative peripheral nerve interface (RPNI), as well as more traditional pharmacological and psychological therapies should be utilised to achieve the best patient outcomes.