End-on Versus Parallel Radiofrequency Lesioning for Neurotomy of the Cervical Medial Branch Nerves

Neck Pain Clinical Trial

— EndPaRL  

Official title:

A Prospective, Randomized, Double Blind Clinical Trial Comparing End-on Versus Parallel Radiofrequency Lesioning for Neurotomy of the Cervical Medial Branch Nerves: The EndPaRL Study

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05818774
• Other study ID #: 22-5634
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: March 10, 2023
• Est. completion date: March 2025

Study information

• Verified date: April 2023
• Source: University Health Network, Toronto
• Contact: Kawal Singh
• Phone: (416) 603-5800
• Email: kawalpreet.singh[@]uhnresearch.ca
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Aim of the EndPaRL study is to compare the efficacy and effectiveness of the two techniques utilizing sharp straight conventional radiofrequency needle with a trident needle for radiofrequency neurotomy of Cervical Medial Branch Nerves (CMBNs), in patients presenting with chronic, moderate-to-severe, neck pain due to cervical zygapophyseal joint osteoarthritis, as diagnosed by positive responses to two consecutive diagnostic blocks with local anesthetic of the CMBN.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 72
• Est. completion date: March 2025
• Est. primary completion date: November 2024
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 85 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Adult patient of either gender aged 18-85 years

2. Predominant axial (non-radicular) neck pain for at least 3 months

3. 7-day average NRS score for neck pain = 5/10 at baseline evaluation

4. Moderate or greater functional impairment due to pain, defined as NDI Questionnaire raw score of 15 out of 50 (=30%

5. Cervical spine imaging compatible with Pathria's grade 3 or grade 4 zygapophyseal joint osteoarthritis

6. Failure to respond to conservative medical management (pharmacologic, physical therapy) for at least 3 months;

7. Positive response to two consecutive diagnostic blocks of the CMBN with a short and long-acting anesthetic

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Participants with financial incentives or litigation associated with ongoing pain

2. Inability to complete assessment instruments

3. Chronic widespread pain

4. Prior RFN of the CMBN;

5. Severe mental health issues

6. Pregnancy or other reason that precludes the use of fluoroscopy

7. Untreated coagulopathy

8. Systemic or local infection at the time of screening.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Neck Pain

Intervention

Procedure:
• Radiofrequency neurotomy (RFN) of Cervical Medial Branch Nerves (CMBNn) with parallel lesioning
Intervention type: RF nerve lesioning at 80-85 degree Celsius for 90 seconds Intervention name: Straight sharp conventional (SIS's technique) Intervention description: Technique as described in the SIS Practice Guidelines for parallel lesioning cannulae placement
• Radiofrequency neurotomy (RFN) of Cervical Medial Branch Nerves (CMBNn) with end-on lesioning with multitined trident cannulae
Intervention type: RF nerve lesioning lesioning at 80-850 Celsius for 90 seconds Intervention name: End-on placement of the multitined trident cannulae Intervention description: Patient in lateral position, targeting joint position between the inferior C2 and superior C3 facets, the middle of the facet pillars for the third to fifth cervical levels, and the superior part of the sixth and seventh cervical facets.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Canada	University Health Network (UHN)	Toronto	Ontario

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University Health Network, Toronto

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Canada, 

References & Publications (3)

Barnsley L. Percutaneous radiofrequency neurotomy for chronic neck pain: outcomes in a series of consecutive patients. Pain Med. 2005 Jul-Aug;6(4):282-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2005.00047.x. — View Citation

Lord SM, Barnsley L, Wallis BJ, McDonald GJ, Bogduk N. Percutaneous radio-frequency neurotomy for chronic cervical zygapophyseal-joint pain. N Engl J Med. 1996 Dec 5;335(23):1721-6. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199612053352302. — View Citation

MacVicar J, Borowczyk JM, MacVicar AM, Loughnan BM, Bogduk N. Cervical medial branch radiofrequency neurotomy in New Zealand. Pain Med. 2012 May;13(5):647-54. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2012.01351.x. Epub 2012 Mar 28. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Difference in mean Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for pain scores	Difference in the mean pain scores before and after procedure. Scale from 0 to 10, where higher scores mean worse outcome	3 months
Primary	Proportion of patients with positive analgesic response	Proportion of patients with positive analgesic response (=50% reduction in the NRS score for neck pain compared to baseline)	3 months
Secondary	Difference in the mean Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for pain scores	Difference in mean NRS for pain scores at 6 and 12 months after the RFA procedure. Scale from 0 to 10, where higher scores mean worse outcome	at 6 and 12 months
Secondary	Proportion of patients with positive analgesic response	Proportion of patients with positive analgesic response (=50% reduction in the NRS score for neck pain compared to baseline) at 6 & 12 months	at 6 and 12 months
Secondary	Proportion of patients with reduction in the Neck Disability Index (NDI) score	Proportion of patients with =10% reduction in the NDI score at 3, 6, and 12 months. Scale from 0 to 50, where higher scores mean worse outcome	at 3, 6, and 12 months
Secondary	Proportion of participants reporting improvement in the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) scale	PGIC score is a 7 point scale depicting a patient's subjective rating of overall improvement over time, as proportion of participants reporting improvement in the PGIC scale at 3, 6, and 12 months	at 3, 6, and 12 months
Secondary	Difference in mean Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores for sleep quality	Difference in mean PSQI scores scores at 3, 6, and 12 months. It has a range of 0-21; higher scores indicate worse sleep quality.	at 3, 6, and 12 months
Secondary	Difference in mean European Quality of Life (EQ-5D-5L score), a self-assessed, health related, quality of life questionnaire. It ranges from 5 to 25, where higher scores indicate worse outcome.	Difference in mean EQ-5D-5L scores at 3, 6, and 12 months	at 3, 6, and 12 months
Secondary	Differences in duration of procedure between 2 groups	Differences in duration of procedure in two groups	day of procedure
Secondary	Differences in discomfort procedure between 2 groups	Differences in patient discomfort of procedure	day of procedure
Secondary	Differences in radiation dose of procedure between 2 groups	Differences in radiation dose of procedure	day of procedure
Secondary	Differences in cost of procedure between 2 groups	Differences in cost of the procedures	day of procedure
Secondary	Difference in opioid requirements in daily oral morphine equivalents between the groups	Difference in opioid requirements in daily oral morphine equivalents in mg averaged over the 1 week before and at 3, 6, and 12 months follow-ups after the procedure	at 3, 6, and 12 months follow-ups after the procedure