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NeuropathyNCT03624426

Detection and Prevention of Nerve Injury in Shoulder Arthroplasty Surgery

A study testing Automated Somatosensory Evoked Potential device (EPAD@) in people with Neuropathy and Nerve Injury, run by London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's at 1 site in Canada.

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

Up to 5% of total shoulder arthroplasty patients experience transient or permanent nerve injury during surgery. In this study, we will monitor the nerve transmission of the patients' arm to detect whether the nerve is functioning normally. This techniques is called somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) monitoring. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Neuropathy, Nerve Injury
What is being tested?
Automated Somatosensory Evoked Potential device (EPAD@)
Type of treatment
Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
200 participants
Where
1 siteCanada
Study dates
10 Sep 2018to 31 Mar 2020
Phase
Interventional
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 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Adult elective patients undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty surgery using general anesthesia

Who cannot join

  • Patients unable to perform complete neurological examination
  • Patients who refuse to participate
  • Unable to obtain informed consent.
  • Patients who are contraindicated for (or unable to perform) SSEP monitoring
  • Patients who have known pre-existing peripheral neuropathy or brachial plexus injury
  • Patients who are contraindicated to brachial plexus block

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Canada1 site
  • London Health Sciences Centre

    London, Ontario, N6A 5A5

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Official title: Detection and Prevention of Perioperative Nerve Injury Using Automated Somatosensory Evoked Potential Monitoring in Shoulder Arthroplasty Surgery

Up to 5% of total shoulder arthroplasty patients experience transient or permanent nerve injury during surgery. In this study, we will monitor the nerve transmission of the patients' arm to detect whether the nerve is functioning normally. This techniques is called somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) monitoring. In this study, we will assess whether SSEP monitoring could detect nerve abnormalities, alerts the surgical team enabling optimize their surgical intervention and prevent surgical related nerve injury.

Read the detailed description

Perioperative PNI is a well-recognized but seriously under-investigated complication of general anesthesia. Arguably, such nerve injury may be viewed as being as devastating as spinal cord and cerebral injury, as the resultant functional disabilities may be very comparable.(1) Many such nerve injured patients require prolonged recovery and rehabilitation, while some result in long-term disability and/or litigation due to motor deficits and chronic pain.(2-5) In ASA Closed Claims Analysis PNI was the second most common cause of claims other than death.(6, 7) However, little progress has been made in the past three decades in developing a reliable intraoperative monitoring technique for early detection and prevention. SSEP monitoring is a potential option for preventing PNI. Abnormal SSEP is widely used as a surrogate outcome for PNI in research studies (8-11). Additionally, previous studies (12-17) investigating the use of SSEP for spinal cord or cerebral injury during neurosurgical procedures have incidentally found high incidences of abnormal SSEP (4-7%) due to mal-positioning that was corrected with repositioning; this suggested SSEP could be used to detect intraoperative PNI and that prompt intervention can reverse PNI. However, there have been no further prospective studies to evaluate the diagnostic value of SSEP, or its outcome benefit. This is largely because conventional SSEP is a bulky, expensive and labor-intensive monitoring modality, requiring a technologist for operation and interpretation.(18) Because of these budgetary and logistical limitations, as well as the relative lack of clinical evidence, SSEP is not performed routinely in most surgical centres solely for the purpose of PNI detection. The recent introduction of the Evoked Potential Assessment Device (EPAD®, SafeOp Surgical, Hunt Valley, MD) may be able to overcome these practical barriers. It is a novel, simplified, automated SSEP monitoring device (FDA approved). The key features of EPAD® are its compactness, ease of connectivity via Bluetooth, and its use of surface adhesive electrodes that remove the potential for needle-stick injuries. This device also incorporates an automated progressive signal optimization algorithm, several newly developed artifact rejection and electrocautery suppression technologies as well as an auto-interpretation diagnostic system. It eliminates the need for a designated technician and permits simplified and direct interpretation of the SSEP data for clinicians in the operating room. This device also enables display and storage of raw SSEP data permitting post hoc area-under-curve analysis. (Fig. 3) We have previously evaluated the clinical utility of this automated SSEP device in 33 cardiac surgical patients (19). This pilot study found that automated SSEP monitoring can be performed readily in a busy cardiac operating room. The raw signal quality is reliable and comparable to the conventional SSEP machine. These results indicate that this device is able to eliminate the practical challenges of performing SSEP monitoring and confirmed its feasibility for routine use.(REB# 104826) Surgical-related nerve injury during TSA is one of the highest risk subspecialties leading to postoperative upper limb peripheral neuropathy with reported incidences of 1-4% (20-22). A previous cohort study10, using motor evoked potential and EMG to evaluate the nerve injury during TSA, reported an exceedingly high incidence of intraoperative alerts (56.7% of patients). Importantly, 76.7% (23 of 30) of nerve alerts were reversed with repositioning of the patients' arm and removal of the retractor. Another cohort study11 in shoulder rotator cuff repair reported an even higher incidence of nerve alert (76.5%). Both studies were received Neer research awards from the Orthopedic Society, however neither study has informed the outcome benefit nor has assessed the relationship between cumulative injury, baseline nerve reserve and postoperative neuropathy. Accordingly, we propose to perform single blinded, superiority, parallel design, prospective randomized controlled study to assess the efficacy of the automated SSEP device in preventing PNI during TSA and explore the dose-response relationship of PNI.

Being tested
Automated Somatosensory Evoked Potential device (EPAD@)
Keywords
nerve monitoring, automated somatosensory evoked potential, nerve injury

What participants receive

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

  • Automated Somatosensory Evoked Potential device (EPAD@)Device

    After commencement of general anesthesia and during patient positioning, stimulating sensors will be applied to patient wrists and a recording sensor is applied at base of neck posteriorly (at C5 level), forehead and the bilateral wrists. The monitoring will be continued throughout the surgery.

Study groups in NCT03624426
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Automated SSEP Monitored GroupExperimentalSSEP monitored group: When a nerve alert is signaled by the automated SSEP device, the surgeon will be informed with the aim to reverse the signal changes. The possible surgical interventions include repositioning the operative arm into a more neutral position, avoidance of excessive traction, removal of retractors, and using a smaller implant to avoid over-correction/traction. The actual intervention will depend on the possible mechanism of nerve injury and treated accordingly.
Receives: Device: Automated Somatosensory Evoked Potential device (EPAD@)
Standard GroupNo interventionThe automated SSEP device will be connected and will be blinded to the surgeon. The screens of the automated SSEP device will be covered by an opaque plastic bag and the alarms will be turned off. No intervention is planned for this group.

What is being measured

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

  1. Cumulative duration of abnormal SSEP changes

    The cumulative duration (min) of abnormal SSEP changes in the operative arm.

    Measured: duration of surgery

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. New-onset of peripheral neuropathy

    New-onset peripheral neuropathy of the operative arm at postoperative 6 weeks. A thorough neurologic examination will be performed by an independent assessor before (after brachial plexus catheter inserted), and after the surgery (6 weeks). Any new neurological deficit at postoperative 6 weeks that identified by the independent outcomes assessor will be defined as a positive case.

    Measured: 2 weeks, 6 weeks and 3 months

  2. American shoulder and elbow surgeons standardized shoulder assessment form

    ASES score is a 100 point scale that consists of two dimensions; pain and daily activity. The pain scale is worth 50 points and the daily activity is worth 50 points. 100 points describes being pain- free and able to complete daily activity with no issues while a score of 0 describes extreme pain and unable to complete daily activities.

    Measured: 2 weeks, 6 weeks and 3 months

  3. Quality of life measure

    The EQ-5D-5L score consists of two components: a descriptive component to assess five dimensions of quality of life and an EQ visual analogue scale (VAS). The EQ-5D health state index is a single summary index, ranging from 0 to 1 (where 0 denotes death and 1 denotes full health/function), that is weighted to the country/region to describe the five dimensions of EQ-5D.

    Measured: 2 weeks, 6 weeks and 3 months

Timeline

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

  1. First posted10 Aug 2018
  2. Study start10 Sep 2018
  3. Primary completion30 Nov 2019
  4. Study completion31 Mar 2020

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
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
1:1 parallel, superiority study
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
200 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03624426
Sponsor's protocol ID
108951
Status last verified
Dec 2020
First submitted
7 Aug 2018
Last updated
31 Dec 2020
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Publications

  • Wojtkiewicz DM, Saunders J, Domeshek L, Novak CB, Kaskutas V, Mackinnon SE. Social impact of peripheral nerve injuries. Hand (N Y). 2015 Jun;10(2):161-7. doi: 10.1007/s11552-014-9692-0.

    PubMed 26034424
  • Grocott HP, Clark JA, Homi HM, Sharma A. "Other" neurologic complications after cardiac surgery. Semin Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2004 Sep;8(3):213-26. doi: 10.1177/108925320400800304.

    PubMed 15375481
  • Sharma AD, Parmley CL, Sreeram G, Grocott HP. Peripheral nerve injuries during cardiac surgery: risk factors, diagnosis, prognosis, and prevention. Anesth Analg. 2000 Dec;91(6):1358-69. doi: 10.1097/00000539-200012000-00010. No abstract available.

    PubMed 11093980
  • Tajiri O, Tateda T, Sugihara H, Yokoyama H, Nishikido O, Mukumoto C. [Brachial plexus neuropathy following open-heart surgery]. Masui. 2004 Apr;53(4):407-10. Japanese.

    PubMed 15160668
  • Fitzgerald M, McKelvey R. Nerve injury and neuropathic pain - A question of age. Exp Neurol. 2016 Jan;275 Pt 2:296-302. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2015.07.013. Epub 2015 Jul 26.

    PubMed 26220898
  • Kroll DA, Caplan RA, Posner K, Ward RJ, Cheney FW. Nerve injury associated with anesthesia. Anesthesiology. 1990 Aug;73(2):202-7. doi: 10.1097/00000542-199008000-00002.

    PubMed 2382845
  • Cheney FW, Domino KB, Caplan RA, Posner KL. Nerve injury associated with anesthesia: a closed claims analysis. Anesthesiology. 1999 Apr;90(4):1062-9. doi: 10.1097/00000542-199904000-00020.

    PubMed 10201678
  • Jellish WS, Blakeman B, Warf P, Slogoff S. Somatosensory evoked potential monitoring used to compare the effect of three asymmetric sternal retractors on brachial plexus function. Anesth Analg. 1999 Feb;88(2):292-7. doi: 10.1097/00000539-199902000-00012.

    PubMed 9972743
  • Wilent B, Oppenheimer S. Utlility of nerve monitoring during shoulder arthroplasty. Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology 2012; 29 (6): 536

  • Nagda SH, Rogers KJ, Sestokas AK, Getz CL, Ramsey ML, Glaser DL, Williams GR Jr. Neer Award 2005: Peripheral nerve function during shoulder arthroplasty using intraoperative nerve monitoring. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2007 May-Jun;16(3 Suppl):S2-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2006.01.016. Epub 2006 Jul 26.

    PubMed 17493556
  • Delaney RA, Freehill MT, Janfaza DR, Vlassakov KV, Higgins LD, Warner JJ. 2014 Neer Award Paper: neuromonitoring the Latarjet procedure. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2014 Oct;23(10):1473-80. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2014.04.003. Epub 2014 Jun 18.

    PubMed 24950948
  • Larson SJ, Gandhoke GS, Kaur J, et al. Incidence of position related neuropraxia in 4489 consecutive patients undergoing spine surgery. Role of SSEP monitoring? Journal of Neurosurgery 2016; 124 (4): A1182

  • Ying T, Wang X, Sun H, Tang Y, Yuan Y, Li S. Clinical Usefulness of Somatosensory Evoked Potentials for Detection of Peripheral Nerve and Brachial Plexus Injury Secondary to Malpositioning in Microvascular Decompression. J Clin Neurophysiol. 2015 Dec;32(6):512-5. doi: 10.1097/WNP.0000000000000212.

    PubMed 26629760
  • Araus-Galdos E, Delgado P, Villalain C, Martin-Velasco V, Castilla JM, Salazar A. Prevention of brachial plexus injury due to positioning of patient in spinal surgery. Value of multimodal intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM). Clinical Neurophysiology 2011; 122: S113

  • Chung I, Glow JA, Dimopoulos V, Walid MS, Smisson HF, Johnston KW, Robinson JS, Grigorian AA. Upper-limb somatosensory evoked potential monitoring in lumbosacral spine surgery: a prognostic marker for position-related ulnar nerve injury. Spine J. 2009 Apr;9(4):287-95. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2008.05.004. Epub 2008 Aug 5.

    PubMed 18684675

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Automated Somatosensory Evoked Potential device (EPAD@) in people with Neuropathy and Nerve Injury, run by London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's at 1 site in Canada.

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 6 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 31 Dec 2020. 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 Canada. 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?

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?

Cumulative duration of abnormal SSEP changes (time frame: duration of surgery). 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 NCT03624426, which also lists 22 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 31 Dec 2020.

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