Regional Nerve Blocks to Improve Analgesia and Recovery in Older Adults Undergoing Spinal Fusion

March 24, 2026 updated by: Catherine R. Olinger, University of Iowa
This initial study is a feasibility study for implementing thoracolumbar interfascial plane, or TLIP, blocks in older adults undergoing spinal fusion. TLIP blocks are done by using anesthesia. In this case, it will be done to either side of the back where surgery will be performed. This has been shown to decrease pain the patients have post-operatively in previous research. In this study, the investigators will examine recruitment rates, completion of assessments, dropout rate, gather patient feedback, and identify barriers to performing TLIP. Further, this feasibility study will provide data to determine adequate sample size and refine methods and outcomes for a future randomized clinical trial. The ultimate goal is to perform a large, appropriately powered randomized control trial to determine the effect of TLIP blocks on pain, physical function and disability, opioid consumption, and delirium in older adult undergoing spinal fusion.

Study Overview

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

50

Phase

  • Early Phase 1

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 Backup

Study Locations

    • Iowa
      • Iowa City, Iowa, United States, 52242
        • Recruiting
        • University of Iowa

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

61 years and older (Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Are 65 or older
  • Indicated for lumbar spinal fusion of less than or equal to 3 levels
  • Undergoing elective surgery
  • no contraindications to local anesthetic or procedures
  • no severe cardiac or respiratory disease
  • no preexisting cognitive dysfunction/dementia

Exclusion Criteria:

  • 64 years old and younger
  • emergency treatment
  • pathologic fractures
  • seeking revision surgery
  • major liver or kidney dysfunction
  • coexisting hematological disorder or irreversible abnormal coagulation
  • patients with previous diagnosis of dementia or SLUMS score <20
  • patient unable to communicate/cooperate/language barrier
  • BMI>40
  • allergy to study medications
  • opioid tolerant (oral opioid intake morphine equivalent =< 60 mg/day)
  • other sources of chronic pain like fibromyalgia
  • patients with associated significant CNS or respiratory disease (home oxygen requirements)
  • incarcerated patients
  • psychiatric illnesses preoperative neurological deficits greater than one motor group, less than three out of five motor functions
  • pregnant or breast feeding

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: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Standard of Care Anesthesia without Thoracolumbar Interfascial Plane (TLIP) Block of bupivicaine.
Subjects will receive standard of care anesthesia without TLIP Block of bupivicaine.
Questionnaire that will rate each symptom of delirium
Questionnaire for screening and severity measurement of generalized anxiety disorder.
Questionnaire assessing pain intensity
Questionnaire measuring the effect of pain on patient physical, emotional, and social functioning.
Questionnaire assessing disability and quality of life impairment in adults with lower back pain.
Questionnaire assessing baseline cognition.
16 item clinician rated scale assessing delirium severity.
Telephone interview questionnaire evaluating patient cognitive status.
The amount of opioids administered will be collected through patient self-report
Questionnaire used to diagnose and determine the severity measure for depressive disorders.
Scale used to determine pain catastrophizing and it's severity.
Questionnaire used to help predict patients that have a high pain avoidance behavior.
Survey determining adverse events related to opioid side effects and complications.
Questionnaire assessing pain location, severity, impact to quality of life, and medications used to alleviate.
Questionnaire assessing Kinesiophobia
Blood Tests measuring inflammatory markers: IL-10, MCP-1, IL-8, IL-6, TNFa
Questionnaire assessing postoperative quality of recovery
Experimental: Standard of Care Anesthesia with Thoracolumbar Interfascial Plane (TLIP) Block of bupivacaine
Patient receives standard of care anesthesia with TLIP Block of bupivacaine (local anesthetic) intraoperatively after anesthesia administration and before spinal fusion.
Questionnaire that will rate each symptom of delirium
Questionnaire for screening and severity measurement of generalized anxiety disorder.
Questionnaire assessing pain intensity
Questionnaire measuring the effect of pain on patient physical, emotional, and social functioning.
Questionnaire assessing disability and quality of life impairment in adults with lower back pain.
Questionnaire assessing baseline cognition.
16 item clinician rated scale assessing delirium severity.
Telephone interview questionnaire evaluating patient cognitive status.
The amount of opioids administered will be collected through patient self-report
Questionnaire used to diagnose and determine the severity measure for depressive disorders.
Scale used to determine pain catastrophizing and it's severity.
Questionnaire used to help predict patients that have a high pain avoidance behavior.
Survey determining adverse events related to opioid side effects and complications.
Questionnaire assessing pain location, severity, impact to quality of life, and medications used to alleviate.
Questionnaire assessing Kinesiophobia
Patient receives standard of care anesthesia with TLIP Block of bupivicaine (local anesthetic) intraoperatively after anesthesia administration and before spinal fusion.
Blood Tests measuring inflammatory markers: IL-10, MCP-1, IL-8, IL-6, TNFa
Questionnaire assessing postoperative quality of recovery

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Numerical Rating Score
Time Frame: Change assessed from pre-surgery to 12 weeks post-operatively.
Change in pain will be assessed using the Numerical Rating Score Questionnaire immediately before surgery and at 2, 6 and 12 weeks post-operatively.
Change assessed from pre-surgery to 12 weeks post-operatively.
Daily Pain Trajectory
Time Frame: Change assessed from 1 day to 30 days post-operatively
Change in pain will be assessed using the Daily Pain Trajectory survey each day post-operatively for 30 days.
Change assessed from 1 day to 30 days post-operatively
Pain Catastrophizing
Time Frame: Change from Pre-operation score to 12 weeks post-operatively
Change in pain catastrophizing and severity will be assessed using the Pain Catastrophizing scale immediately before surgery and at 2, 6, and 12 weeks post-operatively.
Change from Pre-operation score to 12 weeks post-operatively
Pain Fear and Avoidance
Time Frame: Change from Pre-operation score to 12 weeks post-operatively
Change in pain fear and subject avoidance will be assessed using the Pain Fear and Avoidance Questionnaire immediately before surgery and at 2, 6, and 12 weeks post-operatively.
Change from Pre-operation score to 12 weeks post-operatively
Pain Interference
Time Frame: Change from Pre-operation score to 12 weeks post-operatively
Change in how pain interferes with patient physical, emotional, and social functioning will be assessed using the PROMIS - Pain Interference questionnaire immediately before surgery and at 2, 6, and 12 weeks post-operatively.
Change from Pre-operation score to 12 weeks post-operatively
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Time Frame: Change from pre-operation score to 12 weeks post-operatively
Change in severity measurement of generalized anxiety disorder assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 item scale immediately before surgery and at 2, 6, and 12 weeks post-operatively.
Change from pre-operation score to 12 weeks post-operatively
Personal Health Questionnaire Depression Scale
Time Frame: Change from pre-operation score to 12 weeks post-operatively
Change in depression will be assessed using the Personal Health Questionnaire Depression Scale measured immediately before surgery and at 2, 6, and 12 weeks post-operatively.
Change from pre-operation score to 12 weeks post-operatively
Oswestry disability index
Time Frame: Change from Pre-operative score to 12 weeks post-operatively
Change in disability score will be assessed using the Oswestry disability index measured immediately before surgery and at 2, 6, and 12 weeks post-operatively.
Change from Pre-operative score to 12 weeks post-operatively
Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia
Time Frame: Change from Pre-operative score to 12 weeks post-operatively
Change in kinesiophobia will be assessed using the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia measured immediately before surgery and at 2, 6, and 12 weeks post-operatively.
Change from Pre-operative score to 12 weeks post-operatively
Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98
Time Frame: Change from Pre-operative score to 12 weeks post-operatively
Change in delirium severity will be assessed using the Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98 16 item clinician rated scale measured immediately before surgery and at 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks post-operatively.
Change from Pre-operative score to 12 weeks post-operatively
3D-CAM-S and 3D-CAM-ICU
Time Frame: Change from Pre-operative score to 12 weeks post-operatively
Change in delirium symptoms will be assessed using the 3D-CAM-S and 3D-CAM-ICU Questionnaire measured immediately before surgery and at 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks post-operatively.
Change from Pre-operative score to 12 weeks post-operatively
Modified Telephone Interview of Cognitive Status
Time Frame: Change from Pre-operative score to 12 weeks post-operatively
Change in cognitive status will be assessed using the Modified Telephone Interview of cognitive Status measured immediately before surgery and at 6, and 12 weeks post-operatively.
Change from Pre-operative score to 12 weeks post-operatively
Saint Louis University Mental Status Examination (SLUMs)
Time Frame: Change from Pre-operative score to 12 weeks post-operatively.
Change in baseline cognition will be assessed using the Saint Louis University Mental Status Examination measured immediately before surgery and at 2, 6, and 12 weeks post-operatively.
Change from Pre-operative score to 12 weeks post-operatively.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Opioid Use
Time Frame: Change from pre-operative score through 12 weeks post-operatively
Opioid use will be calculated pre- and post-operatively using the Morphine Milligram Equivalents from patient self-reports.
Change from pre-operative score through 12 weeks post-operatively
Opioid Side Effects and Likability Questionnaire
Time Frame: Change from 1 week post-operative results to 4 weeks post-operation.
Change in adverse events related to opioid side effects and complications will be assessed using the Opioid Side Effects and Likeability Questionnaire measured 1 week and 4 weeks post-operatively.
Change from 1 week post-operative results to 4 weeks post-operation.
Self-reported Adverse Events
Time Frame: Change from pre-operative result through 12 weeks post-operatively.
Change in adverse events related to opioid use and post-surgical outcomes will be collected post-operatively through the electronic health record from patient self-report. This will be measured immediately before surgery and 1, 2, 4, 6, and 12 weeks post-operatively
Change from pre-operative result through 12 weeks post-operatively.
Length of Hospitalization
Time Frame: Through study completion, 16 months
The length of time patients were hospitalized will be collected through the electronic health record.
Through study completion, 16 months
Disposition to skilled-facilities
Time Frame: Through study completion, 16 months
Where patients are dispositioned post-operatively will be collected through the electronic health record.
Through study completion, 16 months
90-day Readmission Rates
Time Frame: Through study completion, 16 months
The 90-day readmission rates will be collected through the electronic health record.
Through study completion, 16 months
Blood test for Inflammation
Time Frame: Measured Immediately before surgery and 1 day post-operatively
Blood test for IL-10, MCP-1, NfL, IL-6, and IL-8 will be done pre- and post-surgery for presence and levels of IL-10, MCP-1, NfL, IL-6, and IL-8.
Measured Immediately before surgery and 1 day post-operatively

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Catherine R Olinger, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor

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)

January 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 20, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 12, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

July 15, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 27, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 24, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

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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