The Norwegian Cervical Arthroplasty Trial (NORCAT)

January 10, 2019 updated by: Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Treatment of Cervical Radiculopathy With Arthroplasty Compared With Discectomy With Fusion and Cage (ACDF. Clinical, Radiological and Biomechanical Aspects. A Randomized Multicenter Study.

The study will compare cervical arthroplasty with cervical discectomy and fusion, in the treatment of cervical radiculopathy. The 0-hypothesis is that there is no difference between the two methods, when comparing primary and secondary outcome variables.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Anterior discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is in Norway currently the most common operative method against cervical radiculopathy, caused by disc herniation and/or spondylosis. In the last decade cervical arthroplasty has emerged as a new alternative operative method. Arthroplasty is claimed to preserve the natural motion of the spine, thereby preventing adjacent level disc disease and providing better clinical results. However, this hypothesis has not yet been adequately proven. In our study, we will prove if there is any real difference in terms of clinical effect between cervical arthroplasty and ACDF.We will also compare the overall costs of the two methods, including cost-utility analyses. Moreover, we will study the development of adjacent level disease by use of MRI scans, and analyze cervical spine motion and disc height by use of Distortion Compensated Roentgen Analysis (DCRA).

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
136

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Norway
      • Trondheim, Norway, 7004
        • St. Olavs Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

21 years to 56 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 25 - 60 years
  • Clinical C6 or C7 root radiculopathy with corresponding radiologic findings with or without neurological symptoms
  • Mechanical provoked pain which aggravate with physical activity or positive Spurling test
  • Radiological nerve root compression on the basis of disc herniation or spondylosis
  • NDI =/> 30 percent
  • The patient has not responded to non-operative treatment and shown no sign of improvement during the last 6 weeks

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Significant spondylosis involving more than one level
  • Intramedullary changes on MRI
  • Ankylosis at adjacent level
  • Clinical suspicion of myelopathy
  • Chronic generalised pain syndrome
  • Infection
  • Active cancer
  • Rheumatoid arthritis involving the cervical spine
  • Previous trauma involving the cervical spine
  • Pregnancy
  • Allergy against contents in cage/artificial disc
  • Previous neck surgery
  • Psychological or somatic illness that causes the patient not to be suitable for the study
  • The patient does not understand Norwegian orally or in writing.
  • Abuse of medication/narcotics

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Artificial Cervical Disc
Anterior cervical discectomy, followed by insertion of the Discover™ Artificial Cervical Disc
Procedure: Cervical arthroplasty
Anterior cervical discectomy, followed by insertion of the Discover™ Artificial Cervical Disc
Other Names:
  • Discover™ Artificial Cervical Disc
Active Comparator: ACDF
Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF)
Procedure: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF)
Anterior cervical discectomy and decompression, followed by insertion of a PEEK cage, which induces fusion.
Other Names:
  • Cage is made of polyetheretherketone (PEEK)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
change in Neck Disability Index (NDI)
Time Frame: up to 5 years
up to 5 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Clinical effect, measured by use of EQ5-D, SF-36, numeric arm/neck pain registration, dysphagia score, rate of complications/reoperations/morbidity
Time Frame: Preoperatively. Postoperatively: 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 5 years
Preoperatively. Postoperatively: 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 5 years
Health economical aspects, measuring hospital costs, patient costs, primary health service costs, and performing cost-utility analyses.
Time Frame: Postoperatively: 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years
Postoperatively: 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years
Adjacent level disc disease, measured by use of MRI scans.
Time Frame: Maximum 4 months preoperatively. Postoperatively:1 year, 2 years, 5 years
Maximum 4 months preoperatively. Postoperatively:1 year, 2 years, 5 years
Preservation of cervical translational and rotational segmental motion, disc height and dorsoventral displacement, by use of functional X-rays with Distortion Compensated Roentgen Analysis (DCRA)
Time Frame: Preoperatively. Postoperatively: 1 day, 6 weeks, 1 year, 2 years, 5 years
Preoperatively. Postoperatively: 1 day, 6 weeks, 1 year, 2 years, 5 years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Ullevaal University Hospital
University Hospital of North Norway
Haukeland University Hospital
St. Olavs Hospital
Rikshospitalet University Hospital

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Study Chair: Øystein P Nygaard, Professor MD, Department of Neurosurgery, St. Olavs Hospital

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 1, 2008

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 1, 2017

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 1, 2017

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 13, 2008

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 13, 2008

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 14, 2008

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
January 11, 2019

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 10, 2019

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
January 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 4.2008.211 (REK)
  • 18809/2/AMS (Other Identifier: NSD)

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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