The SPINUS I Study: Spinal Fusion for a Single Level SPECT/CT Positive Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease

June 22, 2023 updated by: Radek Kaiser, Military University Hospital, Prague
The aim of the present study is to find out whether fusion of a sinlge level SPECT/CT positive degenerative disc disease leads to a significant improvement of pain and disability.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Chronic back pain (CBP) is a very common clinical problem. It is dominantly caused by degenerative changes, while specific causes such as tumor, trauma or inflammatory conditions are relatively rare. Back pain may be a concomitant symptom of lumbar disc herniation or spinal canal stenosis and is a typical symptom of spondylolisthesis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays a key role in the diagnosis, showing in detail the soft structures, vertebral bodies (Modic changes, MC) or signs of facet arthropathy. On the other hand, it also proves a number of clinically silent findings. Degenerative disc disease (DDD) or facet osteoarthritis are most often considered to be a pain generator. The problem, however, is that both entities are very common in the general population without a painful correlate, and there is still controversy in the literature about their role in the genesis of CBP.

Radionuclide bone scintigraphy with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) provides functional imaging and is used to detect microcalcification due to increased osteoblastic activity. In the absence of other pathology the foci of increased osteoblastic activity reflex areas of mechanical stress and degenerative change in the skeleton. There is growing evidence about the relationship between DDD, facet arthropathy, and SPECT positivity. Although these findings have been recently confirmed by surgical studies, the evidence about the effect of surgical treatment of SPECT positive lumbar degeneration is still weak due to the small number of operated patients.

The aim of the present study is to define a possible correlation between degenerative changes of the lumbar spine and positivity on SPECT/CT imaging. Patients with a single level SPECT+ DDD will undergo spinal fusion of the involved segment. Postoperative improvement will be measured by ODI (Oswestry Disability Index) and pain VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) in 6 and 24 months follow-up period.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

38

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

      • Prague, Czechia, 16902
        • Military University Hospital Prague
      • Prague, Czechia
        • University Hospital, Motol

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

An open prospective cohort study will be performed. Inclusion criteria will be: subjects between 18 and 75 years of age; both genders; with CBP and diagnosis of DDD or facet arthropathy on MRI and increased metabolic activity on bone SPECT/CT imaging in the same level(s) who are undergoing open lumbar interbody fusion. New MRI of the lumbar spine and SPECT/CT will be performed 2 years after the surgical procedure. The patients will complete ODI and VAS questionnaires before surgery and at 6- and 24-months follow-up visits. All patients will sign an informed consent form.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Lower back pain (in extension +/- pain in buttocks, groin, thigh) without radicular pain
  • Symptoms > 6 months after failure of conservative management in the primary care setting
  • MRI signs of degenerative disc disease or facet arthropathy
  • One-level positivity on lumbar SPECT/CT

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Other spinal pathology (tumours, congenital defects, spondylolysis or spondylolisthesis)
  • Intolerance of SPECT examination
  • Pregnancy

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

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Improvement in Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)
Time Frame: 2 years
The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) is an index derived from the Oswestry Low Back Pain Questionnaire. The self-completed questionnaire contains ten topics concerning intensity of pain, lifting, ability to care for oneself, ability to walk, ability to sit, sexual function, ability to stand, social life, sleep quality, and ability to travel. he scores for all questions answered are summed, then multiplied by two to obtain the index (range 0 to 10). Zero is equated with no disability and 10 is the maximum disability possible.
2 years
Improvement in Pain Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)
Time Frame: 2 years
The visual analog scale (VAS) is a validated, subjective measure for acute and chronic pain. Scores are recorded by making a handwritten mark on a 10-cm line that represents a continuum between VAS 0 (no pain) and VAS 10 (worst pain).
2 years

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Jaroslav Plas, Military University 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.

Helpful Links

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)

January 1, 2018

Primary Completion (Actual)

January 1, 2022

Study Completion (Actual)

February 1, 2023

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 3, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 3, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

May 6, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 26, 2023

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 22, 2023

Last Verified

June 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

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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