Sarcopenia and Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injection Outcomes in Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

October 3, 2026 updated by: Marmara University

Association Between Sarcopenia and Outcomes of Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injection in Patients With Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Prospective Observational Study

This prospective observational study aims to investigate the association between sarcopenia and clinical outcomes following interlaminar epidural steroid injection in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis.

Patients who are scheduled to undergo interlaminar epidural steroid injection as part of routine clinical care will be enrolled. Before the procedure, sarcopenia-related assessments, including the SARC-F questionnaire, handgrip strength, and the five-times sit-to-stand test, will be performed. Lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will also be evaluated for paraspinal muscle characteristics and the severity of lumbar spinal stenosis.

Pain intensity, functional status, walking capacity, and health-related quality of life will be assessed at baseline. Pain intensity, functional status, and health-related quality of life will be reassessed at 3 weeks and 3 months after the procedure. The study will evaluate whether sarcopenia and MRI-based paraspinal muscle characteristics are associated with clinical outcomes following interlaminar epidural steroid injection.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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.

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.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

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.
70

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Istanbul
      • Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye), 34899
        • Recruiting
        • Marmara University Pendik Training and Research Hospital
        • Contact:

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

50 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population will consist of patients aged 50-75 years with clinically and radiologically diagnosed lumbar spinal stenosis who are scheduled to undergo interlaminar epidural steroid injection as part of routine clinical care due to persistent symptoms despite conservative treatment. Participants will be classified according to sarcopenia status based on baseline assessments and followed for 3 months.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Clinical and radiological diagnosis of lumbar spinal stenosis
  • Persistent symptoms despite conservative treatment and scheduled to undergo interlaminar epidural steroid injection as part of routine clinical care
  • Age between 50 and 75 years
  • Low back and/or leg pain for at least 3 months
  • Availability of lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of lumbar fusion surgery
  • Lumbar epidural steroid injection within the previous 3 months
  • Prominent radiculopathy due to lumbar disc herniation
  • Severe motor deficit or an indication for surgical treatment
  • Polyneuropathy, neuromuscular disease, or neurological disease that may significantly affect muscle mass
  • Active malignancy or systemic inflammatory disease
  • Significant mobility limitation due to advanced hip or knee osteoarthritis
  • Cognitive impairment or communication problems that may prevent completion of study assessments
  • Coagulopathy or active infection constituting a contraindication to epidural injection
  • Inflammatory rheumatic disease requiring chronic corticosteroid therapy

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

  • Observational Models: COHORT
  • Time Perspectives: PROSPECTIVE

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Patients with Sarcopenia

Patients with lumbar spinal stenosis who meet the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWGSOP2) criteria for probable sarcopenia based on reduced muscle strength at baseline and who are scheduled to undergo interlaminar epidural steroid injection as part of routine clinical care.
Patients without Sarcopenia

Patients with lumbar spinal stenosis who do not meet the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWGSOP2) criteria for probable sarcopenia based on muscle strength assessment at baseline and who are scheduled to undergo interlaminar epidural steroid injection as part of routine clinical care.

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
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Leg Pain Following Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injection by Sarcopenia Status
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 weeks, and 3 months

Leg pain intensity will be assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst imaginable pain. NRS scores will be recorded at baseline, 3 weeks, and 3 months. Changes in leg pain intensity from baseline will be compared between patients with and without sarcopenia.
Baseline, 3 weeks, and 3 months

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
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Low Back Pain Following Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injection by Sarcopenia Status
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 weeks, and 3 months

Low back pain intensity will be assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst imaginable pain. NRS scores will be recorded at baseline, 3 weeks, and 3 months. Changes in low back pain intensity from baseline will be compared between patients with and without sarcopenia.
Baseline, 3 weeks, and 3 months
Change in Functional Disability Following Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injection by Sarcopenia Status
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 weeks, and 3 months

Functional disability will be assessed using the Istanbul Low Back Pain Disability Index (ILBPDI). The ILBPDI consists of 18 items and has a total score ranging from 0 to 90, with higher scores indicating greater disability. ILBPDI scores will be recorded at baseline, 3 weeks, and 3 months. Changes from baseline will be compared between patients with and without sarcopenia.
Baseline, 3 weeks, and 3 months
Change in Health-Related Quality of Life Following Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injection by Sarcopenia Status
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 weeks, and 3 months

Health-related quality of life will be assessed using the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), which provides Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores. Both scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better health-related quality of life. Scores will be recorded at baseline, 3 weeks, and 3 months. Changes from baseline will be compared between patients with and without sarcopenia.
Baseline, 3 weeks, and 3 months
Correlation Between Erector Spinae Cross-Sectional Area and Leg Pain Outcome
Time Frame: Baseline Magnetic Resonance Imaging; leg pain at baseline, 3 weeks and 3 months

Erector spinae cross-sectional area (CSA) will be measured on baseline lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in square centimeters (cm²). Leg pain intensity will be assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), ranging from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater pain intensity. The correlation between baseline erector spinae CSA and change in leg pain NRS from baseline will be evaluated.
Baseline Magnetic Resonance Imaging; leg pain at baseline, 3 weeks and 3 months

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.
Marmara University

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.
October 2, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
March 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
April 1, 2027

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).
September 28, 2026

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.
September 28, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

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.
October 2, 2026

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.
October 7, 2026

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.
October 3, 2026

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.
October 1, 2026

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.
  • 09.2026.878

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data are not planned to be shared publicly due to participant confidentiality and data protection considerations.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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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