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Lumbar Spinal StenosisNCT03511053

Epidural Lavage Study for Lumbar Stenosis

A study testing Epidural Steroid Injection with Lavage in people with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis, run by Dallas VA Medical Center at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The purpose of this research is to find out if there are inflammatory biomarkers (also known as biological markers) in epidural space that can predict response to an epidural steroid injection. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
What is being tested?
Epidural Steroid Injection with Lavage
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
11 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
19 Dec 2017to 26 Jul 2018
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

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 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Mild-severe lumbar central canal stenosis identified by MRI or CT scan
  • Symptoms:
  • Lower extremety symptoms consistent with neurogenic claudication
  • Pain, weakness and/or numbness triggered by standing or walking, and relieved by sitting
  • Must be able to read English and complete assessment instruments

Who cannot join

  • Cognitive impairment that renders the patient unable to give informed consent or provide accurate data
  • Clinical co-morbidities that could interfere with the collection of data concerning pain and function
  • Severe vascular, pulmonary, or coronary artery disease that limits ambulation including recent myocardial infarction (within 6 months)
  • Spinal instability requiring surgical fusion
  • Severe osteoporosis as defined by multiple compression fractures or a fracture at the same level as the stenosis
  • Metastatic cancer
Show all 16Show fewer
  • Excessive alcohol consumption or evidence of non-prescribed or illegal drug use
  • Pregnancy
  • Concordant pain with internal rotation of the hip (or known hip joint pathology)
  • Active local or systemic infection
  • Abnormal coagulation
  • Allergy to local anesthetic, steroid, or contrast
  • Previous lumbar spine surgery
  • Prisoners
  • Epidural steroid injection within previous 6 months
  • Rheumatological disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosis

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Dallas VA Medical Center

    Dallas, Texas, 75216

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Using Inflammatory Biomarkers and EMG Results to Predict Epidural Injection Response in Patients Diagnosed With Lumbar Stenosis

The purpose of this research is to find out if there are inflammatory biomarkers (also known as biological markers) in epidural space that can predict response to an epidural steroid injection. This study will also be evaluating whether the results of an EMG study (also known as electromyography) can predict the response to an epidural steroid injection.

Read the detailed description

Lumbar spinal stenosis is a common cause of back pain and mobility impairment in older adults. It is often a multi-factorial condition resulting from degenerative changes in the spine, and may result in severe disability, with symptoms of lower back pain and/or pain, numbness and weakness of the lower extremities that are often exacerbated by walking and/or standing. Since lumbar spinal stenosis mostly stems from slowly progressive degenerative changes, symptoms often worsen over time, leading to poor health outcomes and high rates of healthcare utilization.

Epidural steroid injection (ESI) with anti-inflammatory compounds such as glucocorticoids is commonly provided to alleviate pain from neurogenic claudication in spinal stenosis: it is estimated that 25% of ESI's performed in the Medicare population and 74% of ESIs in the Veterans Affairs system are for spinal stenosis. However, one recent, large, multi-center, randomized controlled trial (RCT) demonstrated no significant benefit of epidural corticosteroids in alleviating symptoms of spinal stenosis. In this study, Friedly et al. conducted a double-blind, RCT comparing patient outcomes with epidural injection of glucocorticoid plus anesthetic (lidocaine) vs. anesthetic (lidocaine) only. No significant differences were observed at 6 weeks between the two groups of patients with respect to pain-related functional disability or pain intensity. However, a subset of patients who received glucocorticoids plus lidocaine reported significantly higher treatment satisfaction and higher reductions in depressive symptoms. This suggests that ESIs may be effective for a subset of patients with spinal stenosis.

Another treatment modality for spinal stenosis is decompression surgery, which may be effective for some patients but is associated with higher risk especially in the elderly and patients with multiple medical comorbidities. In Davis et al.'s observational study, in a two-year period with 68 patients, 32% of patients opted for surgery, 44% of patients were satisfied with non-surgical management and were discharged after 2 years, but the remaining 24% with non-surgical management (some of whom chose to decline surgery) did not seem to be satisfied with treatment. This study indicates the potential key role that non-surgical management options such as ESIs may play, in some patients. However, appropriate patient selection using indicators or biomarkers for patients who may most likely benefit from ESIs would be extremely beneficial.

In studying biomarkers that may predict patients' response to ESIs, Scuderi et al. found interferon-gamma (IFG) levels to have high predictive value for patients with lumbar nerve root irritation, while Golish et al. and Smith et al. found fibronectin-aggrecan complex (FAC) levels to have high predictive value for patients with herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP). In addition, many other factors (such as lower age and higher education) have been found to predict better outcome for radiculopathy. In particular, needle electromyography (EMG) has been shown in several studies to be a strong predictor for response to lumbar epidural steroid injection (LESI) and transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TESI) for patients with lumbosacral radiculopathy (LSR). Inspired by these studies, this study aims to explore if certain biomarkers such as IFG \& FAC along with EMG findings can help predict which patients with spinal stenosis and neurogenic claudication will optimally benefit from ESIs.

Being tested
Epidural Steroid Injection with Lavage
Medical subject headings
Spinal Stenosis

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Epidural Steroid Injection with LavageProcedure or surgery

    All participants will receive a saline lavage prior to the epidural steroid injection.

Study groups in NCT03511053
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
All participantsExperimentalEpidural Lavage followed by Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection
Receives: Procedure: Epidural Steroid Injection with Lavage

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Visual Analogue Scale

    Number rating of back/leg pain from 0 to 10, 0 being no pain/discomfort, 10 being extreme pain/discomfort

    Measured: Change between baseline, 1 month and 2 months post injection

  2. Swiss Spinal Stenosis Questionnaire

    Measures how pain due to spinal stenosis is effected the patient based on quality of life/pain questions and satisfaction questions for months 1 and 2 (no scales are used) SSSQ scores are reported in percentages 0-100%, higher scores indicate worse outcomes.

    Measured: Change between baseline, 1 month and 2 months post injection

  3. Pain Disability Questionnaire

    Measures how pain is affecting the patients lifestyle on a scale from 0 to 10 as defined by each question. The questionnaire contains 15 questions that each range on a scale form 0 to 10. The total score of the questionnaire ranges from 0 to 150. Lower values represent a better outcome.

    Measured: Change between baseline, 1 month and 2 months post injection

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted27 Apr 2018
  2. Study start19 Dec 2017
  3. Primary completion26 Jul 2018
  4. Study completion26 Jul 2018

Resources

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 N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Model description
Each participant receives a saline lavage followed by the lumbar epidural steroid injection
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
11 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03511053
Sponsor's protocol ID
17-054
Status last verified
May 2021
First submitted
11 Apr 2018
Last updated
27 May 2021
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Harrast MA. Epidural steroid injections for lumbar spinal stenosis. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2008 Mar;1(1):32-8. doi: 10.1007/s12178-007-9003-2.

    PubMed 19468896
  • Friedly JL, Bresnahan BW, Comstock B, Turner JA, Deyo RA, Sullivan SD, Heagerty P, Bauer Z, Nedeljkovic SS, Avins AL, Nerenz D, Jarvik JG. Study protocol- Lumbar Epidural steroid injections for Spinal Stenosis (LESS): a double-blind randomized controlled trial of epidural steroid injections for lumbar spinal stenosis among older adults. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2012 Mar 29;13:48. doi: 10.1186/1471-2474-13-48.

    PubMed 22458343
  • Friedly J, Nishio I, Bishop MJ, Maynard C. The relationship between repeated epidural steroid injections and subsequent opioid use and lumbar surgery. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2008 Jun;89(6):1011-5. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2007.10.037.

    PubMed 18503793
  • Friedly J, Chan L, Deyo R. Increases in lumbosacral injections in the Medicare population: 1994 to 2001. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2007 Jul 15;32(16):1754-60. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e3180b9f96e.

    PubMed 17632396
  • Friedly JL, Comstock BA, Turner JA, Heagerty PJ, Deyo RA, Sullivan SD, Bauer Z, Bresnahan BW, Avins AL, Nedeljkovic SS, Nerenz DR, Standaert C, Kessler L, Akuthota V, Annaswamy T, Chen A, Diehn F, Firtch W, Gerges FJ, Gilligan C, Goldberg H, Kennedy DJ, Mandel S, Tyburski M, Sanders W, Sibell D, Smuck M, Wasan A, Won L, Jarvik JG. A randomized trial of epidural glucocorticoid injections for spinal stenosis. N Engl J Med. 2014 Jul 3;371(1):11-21. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1313265.

    PubMed 24988555
  • Suri P, Pashova H, Heagerty PJ, Jarvik JG, Turner JA, Bauer Z, Annaswamy TM, Nedeljkovic SS, Wasan AD, Friedly JL. Authors' Reply to Manchikanti. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2016 Feb;41(3):E183-4. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000001142. No abstract available.

    PubMed 26630434
  • Davis N, Hourigan P, Clarke A. Transforaminal epidural steroid injection in lumbar spinal stenosis: an observational study with two-year follow-up. Br J Neurosurg. 2017 Apr;31(2):205-208. doi: 10.1080/02688697.2016.1206188. Epub 2016 Aug 22.

    PubMed 27548310
  • Scuderi GJ, Cuellar JM, Cuellar VG, Yeomans DC, Carragee EJ, Angst MS. Epidural interferon gamma-immunoreactivity: a biomarker for lumbar nerve root irritation. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2009 Oct 1;34(21):2311-7. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e3181af06b6.

    PubMed 19934811
  • Golish SR, Hanna LS, Bowser RP, Montesano PX, Carragee EJ, Scuderi GJ. Outcome of lumbar epidural steroid injection is predicted by assay of a complex of fibronectin and aggrecan from epidural lavage. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2011 Aug 15;36(18):1464-9. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e3181f40e88.

    PubMed 21224775
  • Smith MW, Ith A, Carragee EJ, Cheng I, Alamin TF, Golish SR, Mitsunaga K, Scuderi GJ, Smuck M. Does the presence of the fibronectin-aggrecan complex predict outcomes from lumbar discectomy for disc herniation? Spine J. 2019 Feb;19(2):e28-e33. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2013.06.064. Epub 2013 Nov 13.

    PubMed 24239034
  • Iversen T, Solberg TK, Wilsgaard T, Waterloo K, Brox JI, Ingebrigtsen T. Outcome prediction in chronic unilateral lumbar radiculopathy: prospective cohort study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2015 Feb 7;16(1):17. doi: 10.1186/s12891-015-0474-9.

    PubMed 25887469
  • Annaswamy TM, Bierner SM, Chouteau W, Elliott AC. Needle electromyography predicts outcome after lumbar epidural steroid injection. Muscle Nerve. 2012 Mar;45(3):346-55. doi: 10.1002/mus.22320.

    PubMed 22334168
  • Fish DE, Shirazi EP, Pham Q. The use of electromyography to predict functional outcome following transforaminal epidural spinal injections for lumbar radiculopathy. J Pain. 2008 Jan;9(1):64-70. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2007.08.011. Epub 2007 Nov 5.

    PubMed 17974488
  • McCormick Z, Cushman D, Caldwell M, Marshall B, Ghannad L, Eng C, Patel J, Makovitch S, Chu SK, Babu AN, Walega DR, Marciniak C, Press J, Kennedy DJ, Plastaras C. Does Electrodiagnostic Confirmation of Radiculopathy Predict Pain Reduction after Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection? A Multicenter Study. J Nat Sci. 2015 Aug;1(8):e140.

    PubMed 26251843
  • Lin CK, Borresen A, Kroll M, Annaswamy TM. Predicting Response to Epidural Steroid Injections for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis with Biomarkers and Electromyography. PM R. 2020 Jul;12(7):663-670. doi: 10.1002/pmrj.12272. Epub 2019 Dec 28.

    PubMed 31659847

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Epidural Steroid Injection with Lavage in people with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis, run by Dallas VA Medical Center at 1 site in United States.

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 5 inclusion and 16 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 27 May 2021. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

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.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 8 Feb 2021). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

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?

Visual Analogue Scale (time frame: Change between baseline, 1 month and 2 months post injection). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. 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 NCT03511053, which also lists 15 linked publications.

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 27 May 2021.

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