[Functional neurosurgery of chronic pain: nociceptive tracts ablation at the level of the peripheral nervous system and spinal cord]

Abstract

This article is devoted to ablative neurosurgical procedures used for the treatment of chronic pain. The procedures are classified as those directed to the cranial nerves, the peripheral nerves, the spinal roots, the dorsal root entry zone and the ascending spino-reticulo-thalamic pathways. The rational and neurophysiological effects of these operations are stressed. The actual indications for each procedure are specified.