Duloxetine Impact on Postoperative Pain Control and Outcomes

November 3, 2022 updated by: Gregory M. Mundis Jr., MD, Scripps Health

Postoperative Duloxetine Impact on Pain Control and Patient Outcomes Following Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Randomized Controlled Trial

  1. Evaluate differences between patients taking Duloxetine or placebo following lateral lumbar interbody fusion for postoperative narcotic consumption.
  2. Evaluate differences between patients taking Duloxetine or placebo following lateral lumbar interbody fusion for postoperative pain, function, and quality of life.
  3. Evaluate the correlation between preoperative screening tests (measuring pain centralization, anxiety, depression, and overall function) and patients' response to treatment (reduction in pain, anxiety, or depression and improvement in function).

Study Overview

Detailed Description

It is widely accepted that over-prescription of narcotics by medical providers has played a significant role in the recent uptick in the nationwide opioid crisis facing American society. As such, a tremendous amount of research within the surgical community has been dedicated to reducing the need for narcotics in the acute postoperative period. Anti-depressants, including tricyclics as well as selective serotonin inhibitors (both SSRIs and SNRIs), have been identified in several trials as having potential benefit for treating acute postoperative pain.

Duloxetine (an SNRI) has been approved by the FDA for treating mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety as well as chronic musculoskeletal pain. Previous studies have established its efficacy in treating acute postoperative pain following orthopaedic procedures such as total joint arthroplasty, even with relatively short durations of treatment. Specifically, previous randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that perioperative duloxetine leads to decreased narcotics consumption as well as improved function scores in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty.

While there has been a fair amount of research within the arthroplasty literature, there is minimal research to date investigating the potential benefits of this medication in the spine literature. Lateral interbody fusion is a commonly performed procedure where an interbody spacer (typically made of either PEEK or titanium) is placed between two adjacent vertebrae. This is usually done with the goal of increasing the space between the bones and/or to fuse the two bones together, thereby reducing the amount of motion that occurs during activities of daily living. To this point, there has not been any studies looking at the use of duloxetine's effect with regards to perioperative narcotics consumption and patient outcomes after lumbar fusion.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

130

Phase

  • Phase 2

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

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

24 years to 99 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age: > 24 years
  • Male / Female not meeting any of the exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Age < 24 years
  • Current use of antidepressant medications (including SSRI/SNRI, tricyclic, or Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors)
  • History of seizure disorder
  • Diagnosis of bipolar disorder
  • History of syncope/orthostatic hypotension
  • Diagnosis of any condition with slowed gastric emptying
  • History of suicidal ideation
  • History of liver disease
  • History of chronic kidney disease/renal impairment
  • History of angle-closure glaucoma.

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: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: control group receiving a placebo
The study medication (either placebo or Duloxetine) will be continued throughout the duration of hospitalization. The balance of the remaining pills will be provided to the patient as a discharge prescription to allow for 10 days total treatment.
Duloxetine versus placebo in reducing postoperative narcotic consumption among patients undergoing lateral lumbar interbody fusions
Experimental: treatment group receiving 60 mg Duloxetine
The study medication (either placebo or Duloxetine) will be continued throughout the duration of hospitalization. The balance of the remaining pills will be provided to the patient as a discharge prescription to allow for 10 days total treatment.
Looking at the use of duloxetine's effect with regards to perioperative narcotics consumption and patient outcomes after lumbar fusion.
Other Names:
  • Cymbalta
  • Irenka
  • Drizalma Sprinkle

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Evaluating the amount of change in pain, for patients prescribed Duloxetine versus those patients prescribed the placebo following lateral lumbar interbody fusion
Time Frame: The study medication (either placebo or Duloxetine) will be continued throughout the duration of hospitalization. Remaining pills will be provided to the patient as a discharge prescription to allow for 10 days total treatment.
Evaluate the effectiveness of Duloxetine versus placebo through the assessment of postoperative narcotic consumption.
The study medication (either placebo or Duloxetine) will be continued throughout the duration of hospitalization. Remaining pills will be provided to the patient as a discharge prescription to allow for 10 days total treatment.
Measuring the amount of change in pain, for patients prescribed Duloxetine versus those patients prescribed the placebo following lateral lumbar interbody fusion
Time Frame: The study medication (either placebo or Duloxetine) will be continued throughout the duration of hospitalization. Remaining pills will be provided to the patient as a discharge prescription to allow for 10 days total treatment.
Measure the differences between patients taking Duloxetine or placebo following lateral lumbar interbody fusion for postoperative pain.
The study medication (either placebo or Duloxetine) will be continued throughout the duration of hospitalization. Remaining pills will be provided to the patient as a discharge prescription to allow for 10 days total treatment.
Evaluating the amount of change in function for patients prescribed Duloxetine versus those patients prescribed the placebo following lateral lumbar interbody fusion
Time Frame: The study medication (either placebo or Duloxetine) will be continued throughout the duration of hospitalization. Remaining pills will be provided to the patient as a discharge prescription to allow for 10 days total treatment.
Evaluate the effectiveness of Duloxetine versus placebo through the assessment of postoperative narcotic consumption.
The study medication (either placebo or Duloxetine) will be continued throughout the duration of hospitalization. Remaining pills will be provided to the patient as a discharge prescription to allow for 10 days total treatment.
Measuring the amount of change in function for patients prescribed Duloxetine versus those patients prescribed the placebo following lateral lumbar interbody fusion
Time Frame: The study medication (either placebo or Duloxetine) will be continued throughout the duration of hospitalization. Remaining pills will be provided to the patient as a discharge prescription to allow for 10 days total treatment.
Measure the differences between patients taking Duloxetine or placebo following lateral lumbar interbody fusion for postoperative pain.
The study medication (either placebo or Duloxetine) will be continued throughout the duration of hospitalization. Remaining pills will be provided to the patient as a discharge prescription to allow for 10 days total treatment.
Evaluating the amount of change in narcotic consumption for patients prescribed Duloxetine versus those patients prescribed the placebo following lateral lumbar interbody fusion
Time Frame: The study medication (either placebo or Duloxetine) will be continued throughout the duration of hospitalization. Remaining pills will be provided to the patient as a discharge prescription to allow for 10 days total treatment.
Evaluate the effectiveness of Duloxetine versus placebo through the assessment of postoperative narcotic consumption.
The study medication (either placebo or Duloxetine) will be continued throughout the duration of hospitalization. Remaining pills will be provided to the patient as a discharge prescription to allow for 10 days total treatment.
Measuring the amount of change in narcotic consumption for patients prescribed Duloxetine versus those patients prescribed the placebo following lateral lumbar interbody fusion
Time Frame: The study medication (either placebo or Duloxetine) will be continued throughout the duration of hospitalization. Remaining pills will be provided to the patient as a discharge prescription to allow for 10 days total treatment.
Measure the differences between patients taking Duloxetine or placebo following lateral lumbar interbody fusion for postoperative pain.
The study medication (either placebo or Duloxetine) will be continued throughout the duration of hospitalization. Remaining pills will be provided to the patient as a discharge prescription to allow for 10 days total treatment.
Measuring the general domains of health with PROMIS Global questionnaire
Time Frame: Patients will be asked to complete the PROMIS Global at baseline visit
The PROMIS Global questionnaire is a patient reported outcome that evaluates and identifies the life domains in areas such as physical, mental and social health. Scoring for the questionnaire is out of 50 points and the higher the score the healthier the patient.
Patients will be asked to complete the PROMIS Global at baseline visit
Measuring the general domains of function with PROMIS Global questionnaire
Time Frame: Patients will be asked to complete the PROMIS Global at baseline visit
The PROMIS Global questionnaire is a patient reported outcome that evaluates and identifies the life domains in areas such as physical, mental and social health. Scoring for the questionnaire is out of 50 points and the higher the score the healthier the patient.
Patients will be asked to complete the PROMIS Global at baseline visit
Measuring the general domains of health with PROMIS Global questionnaire
Time Frame: Patients will be asked to complete the PROMIS Global at 2 week post-op visit
The PROMIS Global questionnaire is a patient reported outcome that evaluates and identifies the life domains in areas such as physical, mental and social health. Scoring for the questionnaire is out of 50 points and the higher the score the healthier the patient.
Patients will be asked to complete the PROMIS Global at 2 week post-op visit
Measuring the general domains of function with PROMIS Global questionnaire
Time Frame: Patients will be asked to complete the PROMIS Global at 2 week post-op visit
The PROMIS Global questionnaire is a patient reported outcome that evaluates and identifies the life domains in areas such as physical, mental and social health. Scoring for the questionnaire is out of 50 points and the higher the score the healthier the patient.
Patients will be asked to complete the PROMIS Global at 2 week post-op visit
Measuring the general domains of health with PROMIS Global questionnaire
Time Frame: Patients will be asked to complete the PROMIS Global at 4 week post-op visit
The PROMIS Global questionnaire is a patient reported outcome that evaluates and identifies the life domains in areas such as physical, mental and social health. Scoring for the questionnaire is out of 50 points and the higher the score the healthier the patient.
Patients will be asked to complete the PROMIS Global at 4 week post-op visit
Measuring the general domains of function with PROMIS Global questionnaire
Time Frame: Patients will be asked to complete the PROMIS Global at 4 week post-op visit
The PROMIS Global questionnaire is a patient reported outcome that evaluates and identifies the life domains in areas such as physical, mental and social health. Scoring for the questionnaire is out of 50 points and the higher the score the healthier the patient.
Patients will be asked to complete the PROMIS Global at 4 week post-op visit
Measuring the general domains of health with PROMIS Global questionnaire
Time Frame: Patients will be asked to complete the PROMIS Global at 8 week post-op visit
The PROMIS Global questionnaire is a patient reported outcome that evaluates and identifies the life domains in areas such as physical, mental and social health. Scoring for the questionnaire is out of 50 points and the higher the score the healthier the patient.
Patients will be asked to complete the PROMIS Global at 8 week post-op visit
Measuring the general domains of function with PROMIS Global questionnaire
Time Frame: Patients will be asked to complete the PROMIS Global at 8 week post-op visit
The PROMIS Global questionnaire is a patient reported outcome that evaluates and identifies the life domains in areas such as physical, mental and social health. Scoring for the questionnaire is out of 50 points and the higher the score the healthier the patient.
Patients will be asked to complete the PROMIS Global at 8 week post-op visit
Patient's anxiety symptoms severity at baseline visit
Time Frame: Patients will be asked to complete the GAD-7 at the baseline visit
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) is an assessment tool to measure the changes in a treatments progress and provide guidance for treatment decisions, interventional targets and give assistance in differential diagnosis. Scoring for this measure is based off the patient reporting anxiety symptoms on a Likert scale. The scale scoring is rom 1- 21. The lower the score the less the severity of anxiety symptoms being reported by a patient.
Patients will be asked to complete the GAD-7 at the baseline visit
Patient's anxiety symptoms severity at eight week visit
Time Frame: Patients will be asked to complete the GAD-7 at the 8 week post-op visit.
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) is an assessment tool to measure the changes in a treatments progress and provide guidance for treatment decisions, interventional targets and give assistance in differential diagnosis. Scoring for this measure is based off the patient reporting anxiety symptoms on a Likert scale. The scale scoring is rom 1- 21. The lower the score the less the severity of anxiety symptoms being reported by a patient.
Patients will be asked to complete the GAD-7 at the 8 week post-op visit.
Measuring a patient's baseline visit for severity of depression symptoms with Beck's Depression Inventory
Time Frame: Patient s will complete the Beck's Depression Inventory at the baseline visit.
The Beck's Depression Inventory questionnaire is a patient self-reporting measurement of a patients symptoms and the related characteristic and attitudes pertaining to depression. This measure is cored on a scale 0-3 on 21 questions. The higher the score the worse the outcome is for the severity of depression.
Patient s will complete the Beck's Depression Inventory at the baseline visit.
Measuring a patient's eight week visit for severity of depression symptoms with Beck's Depression Inventory
Time Frame: Patient s will complete the Beck's Depression Inventory at the 8 week post-op visit.
The Beck's Depression Inventory questionnaire is a patient self-reporting measurement of a patients symptoms and the related characteristic and attitudes pertaining to depression. This measure is cored on a scale 0-3 on 21 questions. The higher the score the worse the outcome is for the severity of depression.
Patient s will complete the Beck's Depression Inventory at the 8 week post-op visit.
Measuring at the baseline of a patient's hypersensitivity to noxious and non-noxious stimuli with the Central Sensitization Inventory
Time Frame: Patients will complete the Central Sensitization Inventory at the baseline visit.
The Central Sensitization inventory is a patient self reporting on the severity of their central sensitization pain they are experiencing. The pain severity is scored from 0-100 ( (subclinical= 0-29), (mild=30-39), (moderate=40-49), (severe= 50-59) and (extreme=60-100). The higher the score equates to the worse the outcome.
Patients will complete the Central Sensitization Inventory at the baseline visit.
Measuring at eight weeks to evaluate a patient's hypersensitivity to noxious and non-noxious stimuli with the Central Sensitization Inventory
Time Frame: Patients will complete the Central Sensitization Inventory at the 8 week post-op visit.
The Central Sensitization inventory is a patient self reporting on the severity of their central sensitization pain they are experiencing. The pain severity is scored from 0-100 ( (subclinical= 0-29), (mild=30-39), (moderate=40-49), (severe= 50-59) and (extreme=60-100). The higher the score equates to the worse the outcome.
Patients will complete the Central Sensitization Inventory at the 8 week post-op visit.
Baseline to measure a patient's catastrophic thinking in relation to adults with or without chronic pain.
Time Frame: The patient will complete the Pain Catastrophizing Scale at the baseline visit.
The Pain Catastrophizing Scale is measure that a patient self-reports their thoughts and feelings that may be associated to the pain that they may or may not be experiencing. The scoring of this scale is as follows: 0=not at all, 1=to a slight degree, 2=to a moderate degree, 3= to a great degree, 4= all the time. The higher the score equals the worse the outcome
The patient will complete the Pain Catastrophizing Scale at the baseline visit.
Eight week measurement of a patient's catastrophic thinking in relation to adults with or without chronic pain.
Time Frame: The patient will complete the Pain Catastrophizing Scale at the 8 week post-op visit.
The Pain Catastrophizing Scale is measure that a patient self-reports their thoughts and feelings that may be associated to the pain that they may or may not be experiencing. The scoring of this scale is as follows: 0=not at all, 1=to a slight degree, 2=to a moderate degree, 3= to a great degree, 4= all the time. The higher the score equals the worse the outcome
The patient will complete the Pain Catastrophizing Scale at the 8 week post-op visit.
Two week evaluation of amount of change in post-op pain improvement
Time Frame: Patients to be evaluated at post-op at 2 weeks.
Evaluate the correlation between preoperative screening tests (measuring pain centralization, anxiety, depression, and overall function) and patients' response to treatment (reduction in pain, anxiety, or depression and improvement in function). Continued use of previously mentioned patient reported outcomes will be measured at the designated time points
Patients to be evaluated at post-op at 2 weeks.
Four week evaluation of amount of change in post-op pain improvement
Time Frame: Patients to be evaluated at post-op at 4 weeks.
Evaluate the correlation between preoperative screening tests (measuring pain centralization, anxiety, depression, and overall function) and patients' response to treatment (reduction in pain, anxiety, or depression and improvement in function). Continued use of previously mentioned patient reported outcomes will be measured at the designated time points
Patients to be evaluated at post-op at 4 weeks.
Eight week evaluataion of amount of change in post-op pain improvement
Time Frame: Patients to be evaluated at post-op at 8 weeks.
Evaluate the correlation between preoperative screening tests (measuring pain centralization, anxiety, depression, and overall function) and patients' response to treatment (reduction in pain, anxiety, or depression and improvement in function). Continued use of previously mentioned patient reported outcomes will be measured at the designated time points
Patients to be evaluated at post-op at 8 weeks.
Two week evaluation of amount of change in post-op quality of life improvement
Time Frame: Patients to be evaluated at post-op at 2 weeks
Evaluate the correlation between preoperative screening tests (measuring pain centralization, anxiety, depression, and overall function) and patients' response to treatment (reduction in pain, anxiety, or depression and improvement in function). Continued use of previously mentioned patient reported outcomes will be measured at the designated time points
Patients to be evaluated at post-op at 2 weeks
Four week evaluation of amount of change in post-op quality of life improvement
Time Frame: Patients to be evaluated at post-op at 4 weeks.
Evaluate the correlation between preoperative screening tests (measuring pain centralization, anxiety, depression, and overall function) and patients' response to treatment (reduction in pain, anxiety, or depression and improvement in function). Continued use of previously mentioned patient reported outcomes will be measured at the designated time points
Patients to be evaluated at post-op at 4 weeks.
Eight week evaluation of amount of change in post-op quality of life improvement
Time Frame: Patients to be evaluated at post-op at 8 weeks.
Evaluate the correlation between preoperative screening tests (measuring pain centralization, anxiety, depression, and overall function) and patients' response to treatment (reduction in pain, anxiety, or depression and improvement in function). Continued use of previously mentioned patient reported outcomes will be measured at the designated time points
Patients to be evaluated at post-op at 8 weeks.

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Gregory M Mundis, MD, Scripps Health

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 (Anticipated)

November 15, 2022

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

September 30, 2024

Study Completion (Anticipated)

September 30, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 2, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 3, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

November 10, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 10, 2022

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 3, 2022

Last Verified

November 1, 2022

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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