Burst Crossover Trial

NCT05372822 · tracked via the Priya Life Science Norway tracker

Sponsor

St. Olavs Hospital

Phase

Not applicable

Started

2021-05-01

Last updated

2026-08-20

Condition(s) studied

Back Pain With RadiationPain, Postoperative

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Burst Spinal Cord StimulationSham spinal cord stimulationSCS implant

Burst Spinal Cord Stimulation: Burst stimulation utilizes complex programming to deliver high-frequency stimuli of a 40 Hz burst mode with 5 spikes at 500 Hz per spike delivered in a constant current mode

Sham spinal cord stimulation: No spinal cord stimulation is provided

SCS implant: a subcutaneously implantable pulse generator ("pacemaker") for long-term therapy. The following system from Abbott will be implanted: ProclaimTM XR implantable pulse generator and Octrode® 8-contact lead

Study 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.

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Min age

18 Years

Max age

—

Healthy volunteers

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 * Successful two-week SCS testing period with tonic stimulation (≥50% reduction in leg pain NRS from baseline). This means patients will experience paresthesia during the SCS trial period 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.

Primary outcome measure(s)

change in disease-specific functional outcome from baseline — 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.

Trial sites (1)

Facility	City	Region	Status
St Olavs Hospital	Trondheim	Norway

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Official registry record

This page summarises publicly available registry data for informational purposes — not medical advice. Eligibility is determined by each study team; patients should discuss participation with their clinician.

View NCT05372822 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ ← All trials in Norway