NCT05423132

Brief Summary

Lower back pain is a very common complaint in the Chronic Pain Clinic. Its etiology is nonspecific in 85% of the cases. In 1957, Strong and Davila reported that the superior cluneal nerves (SCNs) and middle cluneal nerves (MCNs) can be entrapped around the iliac crest, suggesting a causal relationship between this entrapment (SCN-Entrapment, SCN-E) and low back pain symptom. This is known today as "cluneal syndrome". Cluneal syndrome remains poorly investigated and is currently a diagnostic challenge. Various types of lumbar movements exacerbate its occurence. The most common theory regarding the origin of this pain evokes that is primarily due to a mechanical cause linked to stenosis or adhesions of fibrous tissue around the cluneal nerves causing distress. The hypothesis is that the investigator can reduce the pain related to the syndrome of superior cluneal origin thanks to a "volume effect" which aims to detach adhesions and/or aponeurotic stenoses that cause a distress of cluneal nerves. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the cluneal nerve block using theThomas Dahl Nielsen ultrasound based technique in patients with chronic low-back pain related to SCN-E. To this end, the investigator will compare physiological serum injection versus local anaesthetic injection, with the aim of reducing short-term pain and improving quality of life.

Trial Health

15
At Risk

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Trial has exceeded expected completion date
Timeline
Completed

Started Jun 2022

Shorter than P25 for not_applicable

Status
withdrawn

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

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Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Start

First participant enrolled

June 1, 2022

Completed
7 days until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

June 8, 2022

Completed
13 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

June 21, 2022

Completed
3 months until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

October 1, 2022

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

October 1, 2022

Completed
Last Updated

February 21, 2023

Status Verified

February 1, 2023

Enrollment Period

4 months

First QC Date

June 8, 2022

Last Update Submit

February 16, 2023

Conditions

Keywords

Superior cluneal nerve entrapmentChronic Low-back PainInjection Site InfiltrationLocal anestheticPainCluneal nerve block

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Reduction of pain intensity in the acute phase of the treatment.

    The pain intensity will be assessed using the numeric analogue scale (NAS) at 5 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes and will be compared with (the pain intensity at) the baseline. The patient rate the pain from 0 to 10 (0 = no pain; 10 = worst pain imaginable)

    up to 1 hour post-infiltration

Secondary Outcomes (3)

  • Reduction of pain in the late phase of the treatment.

    up to 3 months post-infiltration

  • Impact of Pain on daily life

    up to 3 months post-infiltration

  • Incidence of Side effects

    up to 3 months post-infiltration

Study Arms (2)

Physiological serum Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The cluneal nerve block is performed under ultrasound using the Thomas Dahl Nielsen and Thomas Fichtner Bendtsen method. The patients are placed in ventral decubitus. A sensor of high linear frequency is moved toward the middle and posterior to where the aponeurosis of the transverse muscle and the thoraco-lumbar fascia meet, following the appearance of the thoracolumbar fascia and then the appearance of the posterior ilio-costalis muscle under the fascia lumbar area. The infiltration is carried out "in-plane", with a lateral towards the median axis direction, in a way, that it penetrates perpendicularly the fascia The physiological serum (NaCl 0.9%) will be injected, on each side, into the aponeurosis and the muscle in the area where the superior cluneal nerves pass. An easy separation of the thoraco- lumbar fascia and the ilio-costalis muscle is achieved during injection by slightly raising the needle towards the median axis as the space opens up gradually.

Drug: Physiological serum injection

Ropivacaine Group

EXPERIMENTAL

The cluneal nerve block is performed under ultrasound using the Thomas Dahl Nielsen and Thomas Fichtner Bendtsen method. The patients are placed in ventral decubitus. A sensor of high linear frequency is moved toward the middle and posterior to where the aponeurosis of the transverse muscle and the thoraco-lumbar fascia meet, following the appearance of the thoracolumbar fascia and then the appearance of the posterior ilio-costalis muscle under the fascia lumbar area. The infiltration is carried out "in-plane", with a lateral towards the median axis direction, in a way, that it penetrates perpendicularly the fascia The local anaesthetic (Ropivacaine) will be injected into the aponeurosis and the muscle in the area where the superior cluneal nerves pass. An easy separation of the thoraco- lumbar fascia and the ilio-costalis muscle is achieved during injection by slightly raising the needle towards the median axis as the space opens up gradually.

Drug: Ropivacaine injection

Interventions

The patients will receive 15 ml of Ropivacaine 0.375 % on each side.

Ropivacaine Group

The patients will receive 15 ml of physiological serum (NaCl 0.9 %) on each side.

Physiological serum Group

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Patient signed Inform Consent
  • Patient diagnosed with unilateral or bilateral superior cluneal syndrome :
  • Diagnostic points will be :
  • a maximum pain at the trigger point on the back iliac crest, approximately 7 cm from the median line and 4.5 cm from the poster superior iliac crest. Palpation on this point causes pain reminding the patient's long-term pain),
  • Palpation "rolled-palpated" at the buttocks provokes either pain, paraesthesia, or discomfort.
  • The criteria of facial syndrome, sacro-iliac syndrome or radiculopathy are excluded.
  • Low back pain during back movements.

You may not qualify if:

  • Pain not associated to superior cluneal syndrome.
  • Infection at the puncture point.
  • Pain of suspected neoplastic origin.
  • Allergy to local anaesthetics.
  • Refusal of the patient

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Related Publications (8)

  • Karri J, Singh M, Orhurhu V, Joshi M, Abd-Elsayed A. Pain Syndromes Secondary to Cluneal Nerve Entrapment. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2020 Aug 21;24(10):61. doi: 10.1007/s11916-020-00891-7.

    PMID: 32821979BACKGROUND
  • Randomised trial of ultrasounded guidelines above or cluneal nerve block "Superior Cluneal Nerve Entrapment - Pubmed." Accessed February 7, 2021.

    BACKGROUND
  • Talu GK, Ozyalcin S, Talu U. Superior cluneal nerve entrapment. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2000 Nov-Dec;25(6):648-50. doi: 10.1053/rapm.2000.18189.

    PMID: 11097676BACKGROUND
  • Isu T, Kim K, Morimoto D, Iwamoto N. Superior and Middle Cluneal Nerve Entrapment as a Cause of Low Back Pain. Neurospine. 2018 Mar;15(1):25-32. doi: 10.14245/ns.1836024.012. Epub 2018 Mar 28.

    PMID: 29656623BACKGROUND
  • Randomised trial of ultrasound-guided excess cluneal nerve block" Superior Cluneal Nerve Entrapment - Pubmed."

    BACKGROUND
  • Morimoto D, Isu T, Kim K, Imai T, Yamazaki K, Matsumoto R, Isobe M. Surgical treatment of superior cluneal nerve entrapment neuropathy. J Neurosurg Spine. 2013 Jul;19(1):71-5. doi: 10.3171/2013.3.SPINE12420. Epub 2013 Apr 26.

    PMID: 23621641BACKGROUND
  • Journal of Prolotherapy "The Management of Cluneal Nerve closed Pain with Prolotherapy," July 10, 2018

    BACKGROUND
  • Hauser RA, Lackner JB, Steilen-Matias D, Harris DK. A Systematic Review of Dextrose Prolotherapy for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain. Clin Med Insights Arthritis Musculoskelet Disord. 2016 Jul 7;9:139-59. doi: 10.4137/CMAMD.S39160. eCollection 2016.

    PMID: 27429562BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Charcot-Marie-Tooth DiseasePain

Interventions

Ropivacaine

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Hereditary Sensory and Motor NeuropathyNervous System MalformationsNervous System DiseasesHeredodegenerative Disorders, Nervous SystemNeurodegenerative DiseasesPolyneuropathiesPeripheral Nervous System DiseasesNeuromuscular DiseasesCongenital AbnormalitiesCongenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and AbnormalitiesGenetic Diseases, InbornNeurologic ManifestationsSigns and SymptomsPathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

AnilidesAmidesOrganic ChemicalsAniline CompoundsAmines

Study Officials

  • Panayota Kapessidou, MD,PhD

    Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Saint Pierre

    STUDY DIRECTOR
  • Walid EL FOUNAS, MD

    Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Saint Pierre

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
  • Aikaterini AMANATIDOU, MD

    Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Saint Pierre

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
0

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

June 8, 2022

First Posted

June 21, 2022

Study Start

June 1, 2022

Primary Completion

October 1, 2022

Study Completion

October 1, 2022

Last Updated

February 21, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-02