Clinical Research Directory

Clinical and MRI Findings in Lumbar Disc Disease

Low back pain related to lumbar disc disease is a very common condition. Doctors frequently use Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to look at the spine and diagnose these problems. However, it is not always clear how well the severity of the damage seen on an MRI matches the actual symptoms a patient is experiencing. Sometimes, patients with severe MRI findings have mild symptoms, and vice versa. The purpose of this observational study is to understand the relationship between a patient's clinical symptoms and their MRI results. Researchers want to see if the severity of the spinal damage shown on an MRI can accurately predict how much pain or disability a patient has. Participants in this study are adults (ages 18-70) who are already experiencing symptoms of lumbar disc disease and have recently had an MRI. During the study, participants will: * Complete a questionnaire about the intensity of their back and leg pain. * Fill out a survey about how their back pain affects their daily activities. * Undergo a standard physical and neurological examination by a doctor to check their reflexes, muscle strength, and sensation. Researchers will then compare these physical examination and questionnaire results with the detailed findings from the patient's MRI scans. The goal of this research is to improve diagnostic accuracy and help doctors make better, more personalized treatment decisions for future patients with lower back pain.

Patient Satisfaction During Lomber Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection: The Role of Sedation, Anxiety, and Pain

Transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TFESI) is a minimally invasive procedure commonly used for the management of lumbar radicular pain. It is intended to reduce inflammation around the affected nerve root, limit edema, and modulate nociceptive transmission, with the aim of relieving pain, improving physical function, and potentially reducing the need for surgery. Although TFESI may improve function and quality of life, treatment benefit is not uniform, and the degree of pain relief and patient satisfaction may differ across individuals. This prospective observational study aims to evaluate postprocedural pain intensity and patient satisfaction in individuals undergoing lumbar TFESI and to identify clinical and demographic factors associated with satisfaction. Demographic and clinical characteristics, medical and surgical history, procedural pain scores, anxiety level, postprocedural pain scores, sedation status, fluoroscopy-related metrics, and intraprocedural events will be recorded. Patient satisfaction will be assessed 1 hour after the procedure using a Likert-based questionnaire, and operator satisfaction will also be documented. By examining patient-reported outcomes together with procedural and clinical variables, this study seeks to provide a more standardized assessment of real-world TFESI outcomes and to support better patient selection and follow-up strategies.

Postoperative Scar in the Control Excess of Mobility Induced by Annulus Removal on Inserting a Lumbar Disc Prosthesis

To implant a complete lumbar disc prosthesis removal of the anterior portion of the annulus fibrosus is required. As the anterior portion of the annulus limits the movement in extension and axial rotation, we would like to know how much increase these two disc movements and also the effect on the postoperative prevertebral scar on the reduction of these abnormal movement ranges. We also aim to see if repairing intraoperatively the anterior portion of the annulus has any advantage in the final result achieved.

AuriculoTherapy NeuroImaging

This is a clinical study of patients who have low back pain (for at least 6 months). The goal is to understand, with brain imaging, how auriculotherapy (an acupuncture-like stimulation of the ear) may work to relieve pain. There are 4 total study visits, divided into two pairs of visits that occur before and 5-7 days after receiving either a real or sham auriculotherapy treatment. The cryo-IQ device will be used, to stimulate 7 small areas on both ears with a focused jet of cold as a small amount of compressed gas is released. This is generally not painful, and less invasive, compared to using needles for auriculotherapy.

LDGraft in Single Level Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF)

The objective of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of LDGraft (investigational device) compared to 100% human tissue product allograft bone (control) when applied in an ALIF procedure in the treatment of patients with lumbar degenerative disc disease (DDD).

RenewDisc Trial: Endoscopic Discectomy and Autologous Stem Cell Therapy for Discogenic Low Back Pain

he RenewDisc Trial is a prospective observational clinical study evaluating outcomes in patients with confirmed discogenic low back pain who undergo standard clinical care using endoscopic spine procedures. The study observes and compares clinical, functional, and imaging outcomes following endoscopic discectomy, endoscopic discectomy combined with autologous mesenchymal stem cell therapy, or standalone endoscopic application of autologous mesenchymal stem cells. Participants are treated according to routine clinical decision-making, and no interventions are assigned by the study protocol. Data are collected prospectively at predefined follow-up intervals to assess pain intensity, functional disability, quality of life, and structural changes on magnetic resonance imaging.

GA + ESP vs. SA + ESP in Lumbar Decompression Surgeries

The purpose of this study is to determine the optimal anesthetic routine for lumbar decompression surgery. General Anesthesia is the standard of care in spine surgery. Spinal anesthesia in decompressive procedures can be the new standard of care. Recently, it has been found that regional analgesia is option that has been shown to improve pain and opioid-related outcomes after spine surgery, but has not yet been studied in combination with spinal anesthesia. This is study that consists of two groups: standard of care general anesthesia with a nerve block and a spinal anesthesia with nerve block. Patients are randomized to either of the two groups. There will be 71 patients enrolled in each group for this study.

Development of a Fascial Training Based Mobile Application and Investigation of Its Effectiveness in Patients With Disc Herniation

This study will compare three different groups for lumbar disc herniation. The first group will do fascia exercises via a mobile application, the second group will do fascia exercises via a home leaflet, and the third group will do lumbar stabilization exercises via a home leaflet. Since there is not yet a mobile application that includes fascia exercises, this application will be made available to patients for home use after it is developed during the study. The physiotherapist will teach the exercises in the clinical setting in three different groups.

A Single Dose of BRTX 100 for Patients With Chronic Lumbar Disc Disease (cLDD)

This is a double-blind, controlled, randomized study with blinded assessments using a single dose. Subjects that have a current diagnosis of chronic lumbar disc disease and meet eligibility criteria will be enrolled. Chronic lumbar disc disease is defined as back and/or radicular pain with degeneration of the disc confirmed by patient history, physical examination, and radiographic measures such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), plain film, myelography, discography, or other acceptable means.

Total Lumbar Disc Prosthesis and Subsequent Work Activity at at Least Five Years After Total Lumbar Disc Replacement

Lumbosciatica is a very prevalent pathology. When conservative treatments fail, surgery should be considered. The traditional surgical treatment is lumbar arthrodesis. The vast majority of patients who undergo spinal fusion cannot return to their same job and a good number of them never work again. Another form of treatment for lumbosciatica is the implantation of a lumbar disc prosthesis. This technique preserves the mobility of the lumbar area that has been operated on. This allows for a greater return to work and a higher percentage of those who return to the same job. This study aims to quantify how many of the patients who have had a lumbar disc prosthesis implanted in the last twenty years have returned to their same job, how many have had to change their jobs, and how many have not returned to work and are now totally or completely disabled from work.

Pentoxifylline and Lumbar Radiculopathy

The objective of this prospective controlled crossover study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pentoxifylline per os (800 mg daily) in the management of lumbar radiculopathy

A Post Market Surveillance on INFUSE Bone Graft

This study aims to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of INFUSE™ Bone Graft in the real-world setting in Korea.