Spinal Cord Burst Stimulation for Chronic Radicular Pain Following Lumbar Spine Surgery

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Pain, Postoperative; Back Pain With Radiation
• Interventions: Procedure: Burst Spinal Cord Stimulation; Procedure: Sham spinal cord stimulation; Device: SCS implant

• Registration Number: NCT03546738
• Lead Sponsor: St. Olavs Hospital

Brief Summary

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a widely applied therapy to treat chronic neuropathic pain, and one of the most common indications is persisting radicular neuropathic pain following lumbar spine surgery. In traditional SCS therapies, the objective has been to replace the pain sensation with paresthesia. The anticipation is that the electrical current alters pain processing by masking the sensation of pain with a comfortable tingling or paresthesia. Although patients mostly cope with paresthesia, a significant proportion reports that the sensation is unpleasant.

'Burst' SCS utilizes complex programming to deliver high-frequency stimuli. This SCS technique seems to provide paresthesia-free stimulation, resulting in better pain relief of low back and leg pain then traditional tonic stimulation.

The widespread use of SCS has not been backed by solid evidence. The absence of placebo-controlled trials has long been an important point of criticism, but due to the nature of the intervention with sensation of paresthesia, studies with placebo control have so far not been considered possible. When 'burst' SCS is used the stimulation is often unnoticed by the patient, allowing comparison with placebo stimulation.

The aim of this randomized double-blind sham-controlled crossover trial is to evaluate the efficacy of 'burst' spinal cord stimulation for chronic radicular pain following spine surgery.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2018-05-23
• Study First Submitted QC: 2018-05-23
• Study First Posted: 2018-06-06
• Study Start: 2018-09-05
• Primary Completion: 2022-05-20
• Study Completion: 2022-05-20
• Status Verified: 2022-08
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-08-29
• Last Update Posted: 2022-09-01

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 50

Inclusion Criteria

• Have undergone ≥1 back surgeries and developed chronic radicular pain that has remained refractory to non-surgical treatment for ≥6 months
• Minimum pain intensity of 5/10 on the leg pain NRS at baseline
• Successful two-week SCS testing period with tonic stimulation (≥2 points reduction in leg pain NRS from baseline). This means patients will experience paresthesia during the SCS trial period
• Mandatory assessment at the Multidisciplinary outpatient clinic for back-, neck- and shoulder rehabilitation, St. Olavs University Hospital

Exclusion Criteria

• Coexisting conditions that would increase procedural risk (e.g., sepsis, coagulopathy)
• History of laminectomy or posterior fusion at the thoracolumbar junction, where percutaneous electrode end tips are routinely placed.
• Abnormal pain behavior and/or unresolved psychiatric illness.
• Unresolved issues of secondary gain or inappropriate medication use.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: CROSSOVER

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Burst SCS	Burst Spinal Cord Stimulation	Burst Spinal cord stimulation. SCS system implanted and burst stimulation given
Burst SCS	Sham spinal cord stimulation	Burst Spinal cord stimulation. SCS system implanted and burst stimulation given
Sham SCS	Sham spinal cord stimulation	Sham spinal cord stimulation. SCS system implanted but no stimulation given.
Sham SCS	SCS implant	Sham spinal cord stimulation. SCS system implanted but no stimulation given.
Burst SCS	SCS implant	Burst Spinal cord stimulation. SCS system implanted and burst stimulation given
Sham SCS	Burst Spinal Cord Stimulation	Sham spinal cord stimulation. SCS system implanted but no stimulation given.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change from baseline in disease-specific functional outcome between active burst stimulation and placebo stimulation periods	12 months	measured with version 2.0 of the Oswestry disability index (ODI) that has been translated into Norwegian and tested for psychometric properties. The ODI questionnaire quantifies disability for degenerative conditions of the lumbar spine and covers intensity of pain, ability to lift, ability to care for oneself, ability to walk, ability to sit, sexual function, ability to stand, social life, sleep quality, and ability to travel. The index is scored from 0 to 100. Zero means no disability and 100 reflects maximum disability.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change from baseline in back pain between active burst stimulation and placebo stimulation periods	12 months	measured using numerical rating scales (NRS)
Change from baseline in leg pain between active burst stimulation and placebo stimulation periods	12 months	measured using numerical rating scales (NRS)
Change from baseline in generic health-related quality of life measured with the Euro-Qol-5D (5L) between active burst stimulation and placebo stimulation periods	12 months
Change from baseline in daily physical activity between active burst stimulation and placebo stimulation periods	12 months	measured by use of a body-worn accelerometer (activPALs from PAL Technologies Ltd., Glasgow, United Kingdom) attached by a waterproof tape to the midpoint of the patients' anterior right thigh

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

St Olavs Hospital; 🇳🇴 Trondheim, Norway