LEG-UP Feasibility Study: Elevated Leg Positioning For Acute Moderate Ischemic Stroke (LEG-UP)

Elevated Leg Positioning For Acute Moderate Ischemic Stroke: The LEG-UP Randomized Feasibility Study

Augmentation of penumbral perfusion through nonpharmacological hemodynamic interventions such as patient positioning may offer a pragmatic approach to improve outcomes in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). This study aimed to assess the feasibility and safety of elevated leg positioning (ELP) in AIS, and to generate preliminary estimates of effect sizes to inform the design of a future definitive randomized trial.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Acute Ischemic Stroke
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Elevated Leg Positioning

Detailed Description

The acute phase of ischemic stroke is a potentially reversible process wherein the extent of tissue injury is dependent on the severity and duration of the perfusion deficit, which are strongly influenced by the adequacy of collateral circulation and the timing of arterial blood flow restoration relative to the window of cellular viability. In addition to pharmacologic and mechanical reperfusion therapies, measures that augment perfusion to the salvageable ischemic penumbra may mitigate subsequent infarct progression and associated neurological deficits.

Accordingly, patient positioning strategies intended to enhance cerebral perfusion and oxygenation during the early management of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) may offer a simple and cost-effective nonpharmacologic approach to improve outcomes. Two strategies, the 0° and lower head (-20° Trendelenburg) positions, have been evaluated in randomized clinical trials but have yielded inconclusive findings.

This study proposes elevated leg positioning (ELP) while maintaining a 0° head position as a physiologically plausible hemodynamic intervention to optimize penumbral perfusion. In theory, this position would increase venous return and preload, thereby augmenting cardiac output while simultaneously minimizing the hydrostatic pressure gradient between the heart and brain, resulting in increased cerebral perfusion pressure and improved collateral circulation. This may be particularly relevant in the setting of an acute ischemic insult, where focal impairment of cerebrovascular autoregulation may render cerebral blood flow to the penumbra increasingly pressure-passive and dependent on systemic hemodynamics. Furthermore, compared with lower head positioning strategies, maintenance of a neutral head and airway position may confer safety and tolerability advantages.

The present study was designed to assess the feasibility and safety of ELP initiated within 24 hours of symptom onset or last known well in patients with moderate anterior circulation ischemic stroke with probable large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) etiology, and to generate preliminary estimates of effect sizes to inform the design and sample size calculation of a future definitive randomized trial.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 50
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Philippines
  • NCR
    • Manila, NCR, Philippines, 1003
      • Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥18 years.
• Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) confirmed by cranial computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.
• Time from onset (symptom onset or last known well) to enrollment of ≤24 hours.
• Moderate neurological deficit (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] score of 6-16).
• Probable large artery atherosclerosis (LAA )etiology based on the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) criteria (confirmed by cranial CT or MR angiography and carotid duplex ultrasonography performed on admission).
• Evidence of unilateral stenosis or occlusion of the internal carotid artery (ICA) or the M1 or proximal M2 segment of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) corresponding to the presumed culprit artery.
• Functional independence prior to stroke (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score ≤1).
• Written informed consent signed by the patient or their legally authorized representative.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Decreased level of consciousness (NIHSS item 1a ≥1).
• Planned or completed intravenous thrombolysis and/or endovascular therapy.
• Planned carotid or intracranial revascularization within 3 months.
• Evidence of intracranial hemorrhage on neuroimaging.
• Alternative stroke etiologies (e.g., cardioembolism, non-atherosclerotic arteriopathies).
• Serious systemic illness (e.g., significant hepatic or renal insufficiency, active malignancy).
• Prior stroke with significant residual neurological deficit (mRS ≥2).
• History of intracerebral hemorrhage within the preceding 12 months.
• Any possible contraindication to ELP (e.g., active vomiting, pneumonia, uncontrolled heart failure).
• Participation in another clinical trial within the preceding 3 months.
• Pregnancy or lactation.
• Any other condition deemed inappropriate for participation by the investigators.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention; In the intervention group, elevated leg positioning (ELP) was initiated within 30 minutes of randomization and no later than 24 hours after onset. Patients were positioned with passive elevation of the legs to 30° while maintaining a 0° head position using calibrated hospital beds. This was maintained for 24 hours, including during eating, drinking, and toileting. After 24 hours, mobilization with toilet privileges commenced, and patients were placed in ELP for 3 hours three times daily. Treatment protocol was continued for 7 days. Patients were instructed to report any discomfort while receiving ELP. If deemed uncomfortable or potentially harmful by the investigator, patient, or caregiver, ELP could be interrupted for up to three nonconsecutive periods of ≤30 minutes, during which patients were gradually returned to a horizontal position. All patients received standard medical management.	Other: Elevated Leg Positioning; Elevated leg positioning (ELP) is a patient positioning strategy initiated no later than 24 hours after stroke onset. Patients are positioned with passive elevation of the legs to 30° while maintaining a 0° head position using calibrated hospital beds. This is maintained for 24 hours, including during eating, drinking, and toileting. After 24 hours, mobilization with toilet privileges may be commenced, and patients are placed in ELP for 3 hours three times daily. Treatment protocol is continued for 7 days. Patients are instructed to report any discomfort while receiving ELP. If deemed uncomfortable or potentially harmful, ELP could be interrupted, during which patients are gradually returned to a horizontal position.
No Intervention: Control; In the control group, no specific positional intervention was implemented. Patients were allowed to remain either in the supine or sitting position. All patients received standard medical management in accordance with prevailing guidelines.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Proportion of Participants Adhering to the Assigned Elevated Leg Positioning (ELP) Intervention per Protocol	The primary feasibility outcome was protocol adherence to the assigned elevated leg positioning (ELP) intervention in participants randomized to the intervention arm. Temporary interruption of ELP was permitted for up to three nonconsecutive periods of ≤30 minutes each. Adherence ≥80% prespecified as the threshold for feasibility.	From enrollment to the end of treatment at 7 days.
Number of Participants With Prespecified Adverse Events During the Treatment Period	Occurrence of prespecified adverse events during the treatment period. Prespecified adverse events included headache, anxiety or fear, aspiration pneumonia, intracranial hemorrhage, venous thromboembolism (deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism), and other cardiovascular or peripheral vascular events not present at baseline. Serious adverse events were defined according to International Council for Harmonisation Good Clinical Practice criteria and were adjudicated by an independent investigator.	From enrollment to the end of treatment at 7 days.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of Participants With Early Neurologic Deterioration (END)	Early neurologic deterioration (END), defined as an increase of ≥4 points in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score within 48 hours not attributable to intracranial hemorrhage. The NIHSS is a clinician-administered scale used to quantify neurologic deficit in stroke, with scores ranging from 0 to 42, where higher scores indicate more severe neurologic impairment.	Within 48 hours after randomization.
Change from Baseline in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) Score at Day 7	Change in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at day 7 compared with baseline. The NIHSS is a clinician-administered scale used to quantify neurologic deficit in stroke, with scores ranging from 0 to 42, where higher scores indicate more severe neurologic impairment.	Baseline and day 7 after randomization.
Number of Participants With All-Cause Mortality at 30 Days	All-cause mortality at 30 days.	30 days after randomization.
Number of Participants With Favorable Functional Outcome at 90 Days	Favorable functional outcome at 90 days, defined as a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0-2. The mRS is a measure of functional disability ranging from 0 to 6, where 0 indicates no symptoms and 6 indicates death.	90 days after randomization.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Bonifacio C. Pedreogsa II
• Investigators: Study Chair: Jose C Navarro, MD, MSc, Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 19, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): December 11, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 16, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 16, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 19, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 24, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 19, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: acute ischemic stroke; feasibility study; leg elevation; patient positioning; large artery atherosclerosis
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Cerebrovascular Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Vascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Stroke; Ischemic Stroke
• Other Study ID Numbers: JRRMMC IRB No. 2024-279

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: All de-identified IPD that underlie results in a publication.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Beginning within 1 year after study completion (on or before December 31, 2026) and available indefinitely.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: Deidentified IPD and supporting information will be made publicly available and deposited in a publicly accessible data repository without restriction.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No