Severe Compressive Ulnar Nerve Neuropathy (McGowan Grade III)Phase 3NCT02281656
Prospective Evaluation of Reverse End to Side Anterior Interosseous Nerve to Ulnar Nerve Transfer for Severe Compressive Ulnar Neuropathy at the Elbow
A Phase 3 study testing Surgery:ulnar nerve transposition with AIN to ulnar nerve transfer and Surgery:ulnar nerve subcutaneous transposition without AIN to ulnar nerve transfer. in people with Severe Compressive Ulnar Nerve Neuropathy (McGowan Grade III), run by London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's.
Trial summary
Ulnar nerve compression at the elbow is a common problem and can significantly affect hand function in severe cases. The current, standard treatment is Ulnar nerve decompression with or without transposition (moving the ulnar nerve to a site where there is less compression). Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 70 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Severe Compressive Ulnar Nerve Neuropathy (McGowan Grade III)
- What is being tested?
- Surgery:ulnar nerve transposition with AIN to ulnar nerve transfer and Surgery:ulnar nerve subcutaneous transposition without AIN to ulnar nerve transfer.
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion, Surgery or procedure
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 40 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- Jan 2015to Oct 2016
- Phase
- Phase 3
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 70 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Adult patients (greater than 18 years) with severe compressive ulnar nerve neuropathy (McGowan grade III) at the elbow who consent to either ulnar nerve decompression with transposition alone or ulnar nerve decompression with transposition plus nerve transfer.
Who cannot join
- Patients under the age of 18 and over 70.
- Patients with ulnar neuropathy at multiple anatomic locations along the course of the nerve.
- Patients with mild to moderate ulnar neuropathy (McGowan grade I and II).
About this study
Ulnar nerve compression at the elbow is a common problem and can significantly affect hand function in severe cases. The current, standard treatment is Ulnar nerve decompression with or without transposition (moving the ulnar nerve to a site where there is less compression). In severe compression, the clinical results after this surgery are typically poor. Distal transfers of functioning nerves (at the level of the wrist) to the compressed ulnar nerve (anterior interosseous nerve to ulnar motor fascicles) have been suggested to "supercharge" or augment hand muscles while nerve axons regenerate from the level of the elbow after decompression/transposition. In fact, this treatment is becoming widely adopted without clear evidence that it changes outcomes. The investigators propose to prospectively compare the effectiveness of ulnar nerve decompression/transposition versus decompression/transposition and distal nerve transfer.
Read the detailed description
The purpose of this study is to prospectively compare the outcomes of patients with severe (intrinsic hand muscle dysfunction) compressive ulnar neuropathy at the elbow treated with ulnar nerve decompression and subcutaneous transposition alone versus ulnar nerve decompression with subcutaneous transposition and AIN to ulnar nerve reverse end-to-side transfer. The study objectives of this project are the following: 1. To prospectively compare the clinical outcomes of patients with severe ulnar neuropathy at the elbow who receive ulnar nerve decompression with subcutaneous transposition and AIN to ulnar motor reverse end-to-side nerve transfer versus decompression and subcutaneous transposition alone. 2. To prospectively compare the electrophysiologic outcomes (nerve conduction studies and EMG) of patients with severe ulnar neuropathy at the elbow who receive ulnar nerve decompression with subcutaneous transposition and AIN to ulnar motor reverse end-to-side nerve transfer versus decompression and subcutaneous transposition alone.
- Being tested
- Surgery:ulnar nerve transposition with AIN to ulnar nerve transfer, Surgery:ulnar nerve subcutaneous transposition without AIN to ulnar nerve transfer.
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Surgery:ulnar nerve transposition with AIN to ulnar nerve transferProcedure or surgery
Also called experimental
Surgery:ulnar nerve subcutaneous transposition without AIN to ulnar nerve transfer.Procedure or surgery
Also called standard care
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Reverse End-to-side | Experimental | Surgery: a "reverse" end-to-side AIN to ulnar nerve transfer whereby the motor branch of the ulnar is left intact and the end of the AIN nerve is coapted to the side of the ulnar motor fascicle(5,6). The advantage of this technique is it preserves the continuity of the ulnar motor branch for axons if they do eventually reinnervate the intrinsic muscles while augmenting or "babysitting" these muscles during the time period until this occurs. Receives: Procedure: Surgery:ulnar nerve subcutaneous transposition without AIN to ulnar nerve transfer. |
| Surgery:standard care | Active comparator | Surgery: the anterior interosseous (AIN) to motor branch of the ulnar nerve transfer has been established as an effective means to reinnervate ulnar innervated intrinsic hand muscles (without loss of function from using the AIN) when nerve injury is too proximal for recovering axons to reach the hand by 18 months. . The procedure (surgery) is presently the standard of care Receives: Procedure: Surgery:ulnar nerve transposition with AIN to ulnar nerve transfer |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
pain scores on the numeric pain rating scale
The patient-rated ulnar nerve evaluation (PRUNE)
Measured: one year
Secondary outcomes (2)
evaluation of reinnvervation of hand intrinsic muscles
Electromyography (EMG)
Measured: one year
functional performance assessment on the numeric scale
The patient-rated ulnar nerve evaluation (PRUNE); Michigan hand outcome questionnaire
Measured: one year
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted3 Nov 2014 (estimated)
- Study startJan 2015
- Primary completionOct 2015
- Study completionOct 2016
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Severe Compressive Ulnar Nerve Neuropathy (McGowan Grade III)Studies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph'sThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 3
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Dr Christopher Doherty, Dr Thomas Miller
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02281656
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 7126
- Status last verified
- Nov 2018
- First submitted
- 22 Sep 2014
- Last updated
- 6 Nov 2018
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
1. McGowan AJ. The Results of Transposition of the Ulnar Nerve for Traumatic Ulnar Neuritis. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 32B (3): 293-301, 1950. 2. Macadam SA, Gandhi R, Bezuhly M et al. Simple Decompression Versus Anterior Subcutaneous and Submuscular Transposition of the Ulnar Nerve for Cubital Tunnel Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Hand Surgery (Am), 33A: 1314-1324, 2008. 3. Chung KC. Treatment of Ulnar Nerve Compression at the Elbow. Journal of Hand Surgery (Am), 33A: 1625-1627, 2008. 4. Haase SC and Chung KC. Anterior Interosseous Nerve Transfer to the Motor Branch of the Ulnar Nerve for High Ulnar Nerve Injuries. Annals of Plastic Surgery, 49: 285-290, 2002. 5. Barbour J, Yee A, Kahn LC and Mackinnon SE. Supercharged End-to-Side Anterior Interosseous to Ulnar Motor Nerve Transfer for Intrinsic Musculature Reinnervation. Journal of Hand Surgery (Am), 37A: 2150-2159, 2012. 6. Kale SS, Glaus SW, Yee A et al. Reverse End-to-Side Nerve Transfer: From Animal Model to Clinical Use. Journal of Hand Surgery (Am), 36A: 1631-1639, 2011. 7. Isaacs J. Supercharged End-to-Side Nerve Transfer: Too Soon for "Prime Time"? Journal of Hand Surgery (Am), 38A: 617-618, 2013.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 6 Nov 2018. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Prospective Evaluation of Reverse End to Side Anterior Interosseous Nerve to Ulnar Nerve Transfer for Severe Compressive Ulnar Neuropathy at the Elbow
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02281656
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 7126
- Phase
- Phase 3
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph'sUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Dr Christopher Doherty, Dr Thomas Miller
- Study start
- Jan 2015 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Oct 2015 (actual)
- Study completion
- Oct 2016 (actual)
- First posted
- 3 Nov 2014 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Ulnar nerve compression at the elbow is a common problem and can significantly affect hand function in severe cases. The current, standard treatment is Ulnar nerve decompression with or without transposition (moving the ulnar nerve to a site where there is less compression). In severe compression, the clinical results after this surgery are typically poor. Distal transfers of functioning nerves (at the level of the wrist) to the compressed ulnar nerve (anterior interosseous nerve to ulnar motor fascicles) have been suggested to "supercharge" or augment hand muscles while nerve axons regenerate from the level of the elbow after decompression/transposition. In fact, this treatment is becoming widely adopted without clear evidence that it changes outcomes. The investigators propose to prospectively compare the effectiveness of ulnar nerve decompression/transposition versus decompression/transposition and distal nerve transfer.
Detailed description
The purpose of this study is to prospectively compare the outcomes of patients with severe (intrinsic hand muscle dysfunction) compressive ulnar neuropathy at the elbow treated with ulnar nerve decompression and subcutaneous transposition alone versus ulnar nerve decompression with subcutaneous transposition and AIN to ulnar nerve reverse end-to-side transfer. The study objectives of this project are the following: 1. To prospectively compare the clinical outcomes of patients with severe ulnar neuropathy at the elbow who receive ulnar nerve decompression with subcutaneous transposition and AIN to ulnar motor reverse end-to-side nerve transfer versus decompression and subcutaneous transposition alone. 2. To prospectively compare the electrophysiologic outcomes (nerve conduction studies and EMG) of patients with severe ulnar neuropathy at the elbow who receive ulnar nerve decompression with subcutaneous transposition and AIN to ulnar motor reverse end-to-side nerve transfer versus decompression and subcutaneous transposition alone.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Reverse End-to-side | Experimental | Procedure: Surgery:ulnar nerve subcutaneous transposition without AIN to ulnar nerve transfer.Surgery: a "reverse" end-to-side AIN to ulnar nerve transfer whereby the motor branch of the ulnar is left intact and the end of the AIN nerve is coapted to the side of the ulnar motor fascicle(5,6). The advantage of this technique is it preserves the continuity of the ulnar motor branch for axons if they do eventually reinnervate the intrinsic muscles while augmenting or "babysitting" these muscles during the time period until this occurs. |
| Surgery:standard care | Active comparator | Procedure: Surgery:ulnar nerve transposition with AIN to ulnar nerve transferSurgery: the anterior interosseous (AIN) to motor branch of the ulnar nerve transfer has been established as an effective means to reinnervate ulnar innervated intrinsic hand muscles (without loss of function from using the AIN) when nerve injury is too proximal for recovering axons to reach the hand by 18 months. . The procedure (surgery) is presently the standard of care |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 70 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Adult patients (greater than 18 years) with severe compressive ulnar nerve neuropathy (McGowan grade III) at the elbow who consent to either ulnar nerve decompression with transposition alone or ulnar nerve decompression with transposition plus nerve transfer.
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Patients under the age of 18 and over 70.
- Patients with ulnar neuropathy at multiple anatomic locations along the course of the nerve.
- Patients with mild to moderate ulnar neuropathy (McGowan grade I and II).
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Surgery:ulnar nerve transposition with AIN to ulnar nerve transferAlso: experimental | Procedure or surgery | Surgery:standard care |
| Surgery:ulnar nerve subcutaneous transposition without AIN to ulnar nerve transfer.Also: standard care | Procedure or surgery | Reverse End-to-side |
Primary outcome
pain scores on the numeric pain rating scale
Time frame: one year
The patient-rated ulnar nerve evaluation (PRUNE)
2 secondary outcomes
evaluation of reinnvervation of hand intrinsic muscles
Time frame: one year
functional performance assessment on the numeric scale
Time frame: one year
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 6 Nov 2018.
- Background1. McGowan AJ. The Results of Transposition of the Ulnar Nerve for Traumatic Ulnar Neuritis. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 32B (3): 293-301, 1950. 2. Macadam SA, Gandhi R, Bezuhly M et al. Simple Decompression Versus Anterior Subcutaneous and Submuscular Transposition of the Ulnar Nerve for Cubital Tunnel Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Hand Surgery (Am), 33A: 1314-1324, 2008. 3. Chung KC. Treatment of Ulnar Nerve Compression at the Elbow. Journal of Hand Surgery (Am), 33A: 1625-1627, 2008. 4. Haase SC and Chung KC. Anterior Interosseous Nerve Transfer to the Motor Branch of the Ulnar Nerve for High Ulnar Nerve Injuries. Annals of Plastic Surgery, 49: 285-290, 2002. 5. Barbour J, Yee A, Kahn LC and Mackinnon SE. Supercharged End-to-Side Anterior Interosseous to Ulnar Motor Nerve Transfer for Intrinsic Musculature Reinnervation. Journal of Hand Surgery (Am), 37A: 2150-2159, 2012. 6. Kale SS, Glaus SW, Yee A et al. Reverse End-to-Side Nerve Transfer: From Animal Model to Clinical Use. Journal of Hand Surgery (Am), 36A: 1631-1639, 2011. 7. Isaacs J. Supercharged End-to-Side Nerve Transfer: Too Soon for "Prime Time"? Journal of Hand Surgery (Am), 38A: 617-618, 2013.
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 3 study testing Surgery:ulnar nerve transposition with AIN to ulnar nerve transfer and Surgery:ulnar nerve subcutaneous transposition without AIN to ulnar nerve transfer. in people with Severe Compressive Ulnar Nerve Neuropathy (McGowan Grade III), run by London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Nov 2018. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
pain scores on the numeric pain rating scale (time frame: one year). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02281656, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 6 Nov 2018.