Clinical Research Directory

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Ultrasound-Guided Periradicular Injections in Patients With Lumbar Radicular Pain

This study aims to compare the effects of different ultrasound-guided periradicular injection solutions in patients with chronic unilateral radicular pain caused by a single-level lumbar disc herniation. Participants receive an ultrasound-guided periradicular injection containing lidocaine and dexamethasone, either alone or combined with 5% dextrose or 0.9% sodium chloride. The study evaluates whether adding dextrose or sodium chloride provides additional benefit in reducing pain and improving function and quality of life. Pain intensity, disability, quality of life, and analgesic use are assessed before treatment and during follow-up. The main hypothesis is that the addition of 5% dextrose or 0.9% sodium chloride may improve the clinical effectiveness of the injection compared with lidocaine and dexamethasone alone.

Selective Nerve Root Block Versus Sham to Reduce Surgery for Lumbar Disc Herniation

The SELDISC trial will investigate whether a selective nerve root block can reduce the need for surgery in adults with a herniated disc in the lower back. A herniated disc can irritate a nerve and cause pain that travels down the leg. A nerve root block delivers a local anaesthetic and a corticosteroid near the affected nerve to relieve pain and inflammation. The study will include 262 adults aged 18-66 years who have persistent leg symptoms despite non-surgical treatment and have been assessed by a spine surgeon as eligible for surgery. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either a selective nerve root block or a sham procedure that mimics the treatment without delivering the active medication near the nerve. Each participant will have an equal chance of receiving either procedure. Participants and the study staff assessing their outcomes will not know which procedure was given. The radiologist performing the procedure will know the allocation. The main question is whether fewer participants in the nerve root block group undergo surgery within 12 months after randomisation. The study will also compare pain, disability, quality of life, time to surgery, medication use, sick leave, healthcare use and adverse events between the groups.

Acute Effects of Neurodynamics on Strength and Endurance in Athletes

This study explores the acute effects of neurodynamics, an intervention commonly used by physical therapist to improve nerve mobility and decrease pain, on the strength and muscular endurance in the athletic population. This study aims to find if these interventions can maintain or promote strength and endurance in the hamstrings. The studies results will help physical therapist better prescribe exercise and hands-on treatment for hamstring and sciatic nerve related conditions and injuries.

FINDISC-Pain, Finnish Discectomy Trial on the Benefits and Harms of Surgery in Patients With Lumbar Disc Herniation

The FINDISC trial studies whether common back operation, microdiscectomy, is effective and safe for treating sciatica caused by a lumbar disc herniation. The study includes people whose leg pain has not improved after at least six weeks of non-surgical treatment. The FINDISC trial aims to recruit and randomly allocate 122 participants to receive either the actual operation (discectomy) or a placebo (sham) surgery. The placebo (sham) procedure involves anesthesia and an approach similar to the real operation, but no removal of disc material or bone. Participants and healthcare staff, excluding the surgical team, will not know which treatment was given. The study compares pain relief, recovery, daily functioning, quality of life, and harms between the two groups. The goal of the study is to provide reliable evidence to help patients and clinicians decide whether microdiscectomy offers meaningful benefits compared with placebo surgery.

Opioid Free and Opioid Based Anesthesia in Elective Lumbar Spine Surgery

This prospective, observational, non-randomized clinical study aims to evaluate the intraoperative and postoperative effects of opioid-free multimodal anesthesia compared with opioid-containing anesthesia methods in adult patients undergoing lumbar spinal surgery. Patients will be managed according to routine clinical practice and assigned to one of three groups based on the analgesic strategy used by the attending anesthesiologist: (1) opioid-free anesthesia using multimodal agents and/or erector spinae plane (ESP) block; (2) ESP block plus intraoperative opioids; or (3) opioid-based anesthesia without regional blocks. The primary objective is to compare postoperative pain control and opioid requirements within the first 48 hours after surgery. Secondary objectives include evaluating opioid-related side effects such as nausea, vomiting, pruritus, constipation, delayed mobilization, urinary retention, and postoperative complications classified according to the Clavien-Dindo system. Standard postoperative analgesia, including intravenous morphine patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), acetaminophen, and NSAIDs, will be provided for all patients. The study aims to determine whether an opioid-free multimodal analgesic approach can reduce opioid consumption and related adverse effects while maintaining adequate analgesia in patients undergoing lumbar spinal surgery.