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Comparison of the Effectiveness of Ultrasound-guided Versus Radioguided Medial Lumbar Bundle Branch Block

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Ultrasound-guided Versus Radioguided Medial Lumbar Bundle Branch Block

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04658953
Enrollment
50
Registered
2020-12-09
Start date
2021-01-06
Completion date
2022-03-10
Last updated
2022-03-22

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Chronic Low-back Pain, Lumbar Facet Joint Syndrome

Keywords

Pain, Fluoroscopy, Ultrasound, Injection Site Infiltration, Chronic, Lumbar facet joint syndrome, Medial branch blocks, Disability, Local anesthetic, Lumbalgia, Lumbar zygapophysial joint, Facet syndrome, Chronic Low-back Pain, Medial branch block

Brief summary

In adults with chronic low back pain, the investigators will compare the effectiveness of the medial bundle branch block on three lumbar levels (L3-L4, L4-L5 and L5-S1) performed either by radiographic guidance or by ultrasound approach according to a transverse approach. The objective of this study will be to evaluate the benefit of these both procedures on pain, on the practice of daily activities and the incidence of adverse events in order to show whether the two modalities are equivalent.

Detailed description

Lumbar facet syndrome is a source of spinal distress affecting up to 45% of patients with chronic low back pain due to inflammation, degenerative or arthritic changes, overloading of the posterior or posterior lumbar facet joints. First-line treatment for the relief of chronic low back pain of zygapophyseal joint origin includes bed rest, oral pain relievers / anti-inflammatory drugs, and physiotherapy. If unsuccessful, intra-articular injections and medial bundle branch block (BBM) provide diagnosis and are an alternative to neurotomy (radiofrequency or cryoneurolysis). The BBM targets the medial branches of the posterior twigs, that is, it blocks the nociceptors and the muscles of the dermatome undertaken by targeting the medial branches of the dorsal vertebral branch supplying a facet above and below the vertebrae which ensure sensory innervation of the facet joint. The current standard technique is radiography requiring three punctures (transverse-axial plane) and the ultrasound technique is also described in this plan and also requires three puncture points. The investigatorswould like to compare this promising new technique to the standard radiographic technique since it would avoid irradiation and is easier to handle. For this study, the investigatorswill compare the BBM on three lumbar levels (L3-L4, L4-L5 and L5-S1) performed under radiography versus ultrasound according to a transverse approach. To compare the equivalence of this two modalities the investigators will evaluate : * the benefit of the procedure on pain (via the visual analogue scale (VAS) collected before then at 1 week and at 1 month after the infiltrations) * the evolution of the possibility of carrying out daily activities (via the Duke's activity status index (DASI) scale, collected at the same intervals as the VAS) * the limits of daily activities (via the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), collected at the same time intervals) * the incidence of adverse events A screening for anxiety and depressive disorders will be also performed before infiltration by the Hospital Anxiety and depression scale (HADS) comprising 14 items.

Interventions

OTHERUltrasound guided infiltration

In the patient in prone position, an infiltration guided by ultrasound will be performed in three puncture points (L3-L4, L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels unilaterally). At each level, 1mL of a mixture consisting of 3mL of Linisol 2% (60mg of lidocaine) and 1mL of Depomedrol 40mg / Lidocaine 10mg is injected.

OTHERFluoroscopy guided infiltration

In the patient in prone position, an infiltration guided by fluoroscopy will be performed in three puncture points (L3-L4, L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels unilaterally). At each level, 1mL of a mixture consisting of 3mL of Linisol 2% (60mg of lidocaine) and 1mL of Depomedrol 40mg / Lidocaine 10mg is injected.

Sponsors

Hôpital de Braine-l'Alleud
CollaboratorOTHER
Erasme University Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Saint Pierre
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
20 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Chronic Low-back pain for at least 3 months, without response to a conservative treatment of minimum 4 weeks * No signs of dissociated pain, radiculitis, neurological diseases (including stroke, Parkinson's disease), spinal instability or deformities (such as scoliosis, ankylosing spondylitis), history of lumbar surgery , fracture or lumbar tumor.

Exclusion criteria

* Pregnant or breastfeeding women * Allergy to injected products (Depomedrol or Linisol) * Psychiatric disorders hindering understanding of the protocol * Local or systemic infection * Coagulation disorder * Obese with a BMI\> 35 kg / m²

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score1 monthChange in Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score from baseline to 1 month after infiltration. Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) will be calculated before and 1 month after procedure. This index (range 0 to 100) is used by clinicians and researchers to quantify disability for low back pain, with higher score indicating greater disability.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain score from baseline to 1 week after infiltration1 weekPain will be evaluated by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) before and 1 week after infiltration. Visual Analog pain score (scale= 0 no pain; 10= worst pain imaginable)
Change in Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain score from baseline to 1 month after infiltration1 monthPain will be evaluated by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) before and 1 month after infiltration. Visual Analog pain score (scale= 0 no pain; 10= worst pain imaginable)
Change in Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) from baseline to 1 week after infiltration1 weekThe Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) (range 0 to 58.2) will be calculated before and 1 week after procedure. This index is an assessment tool used to evaluate the possibility of carrying out daily activities, with higher scores indicating a higher functional capacity.
Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score1 weekChange in Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score from baseline to 1 week after infiltration. Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) will be calculated before and 1 week after procedure. This index (range 0 to 100) is used by clinicians and researchers to quantify disability for low back pain, with higher score indicating greater disability.
Incidence of Adverse event (Hematoma, infection, intrathecal injection, spinal anesthesia)1 month
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)Before infiltrationThe Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) (range 0 to 21) will be calculated before procedure. (0-7 normal; 8-10 Borderline abnormal; 11-21 Abnormal)
Change in Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) from baseline to 1 month after infiltration1 monthThe Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) (range 0 to 58.2) will be calculated before and 1 month after procedure. This index is an assessment tool used to evaluate the possibility of carrying out daily activities, with higher scores indicating a higher functional capacity.

Countries

Belgium

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026