Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injections for Spinal Stenosis Multicenter Randomized, Controlled Trial (LESS Trial)

University of Washington

Status and phase

Completed

Phase 4

Conditions

Spinal Stenosis

Low Back Pain

Treatments

Drug: Epidural local anesthetic injection

Drug: Epidural steroid injection

Procedure: Epidural steroid with local anesthetic injection

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT01238536

R01HS019222-01 (U.S. AHRQ Grant/Contract)

39023D

Details and patient eligibility

About

The broad, long-term objective of this research protocol is to improve the quality of life for patients suffering from lumbar spinal stenosis. This objective will be met by examining the safety and clinical efficacy of epidural steroid injections for treatment of pain associated with lumbar spinal stenosis. This prospective, randomized, double-blind controlled trial (RCT) will test the hypothesis that the effectiveness of epidural steroid injections (ESI) plus local anesthetic (LA) is greater than epidural injections of LA alone in older adults with lumbar spinal stenosis.

Full description

Lumbar spinal stenosis is one of the most common causes of low back pain in the elderly and can lead to significant disability. The symptoms of spinal stenosis range from low back pain to neurogenic claudication with lower extremity pain, weakness and/or sensory changes related to activities. As spinal stenosis can affect the central canal as well as the lateral recesses and intervertebral foramen variably, symptoms can involve single or multiple myotomes and dermatomes. Since the causes of spinal stenosis are most frequently degenerative changes, the symptoms of spinal stenosis often, but not always, worsen over time. Despite the prevalence of spinal stenosis, treatment of spinal stenosis remains somewhat controversial. Common treatments include conservative measures such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS), activity modification and physical therapy as well as more invasive treatments such as epidural steroid injections and surgery. Although surgery has been demonstrated to provide some benefit to many individuals with spinal stenosis, ESI are being used with increasing frequency as a less invasive, potentially more cost effective and safer treatment for spinal stenosis. However, there is a lack of data to demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of epidural steroid injections for spinal stenosis, particularly in the older adults.

Because of the compelling need for effective therapy for patients suffering from spinal stenosis and because epidural steroid injections are rapidly becoming standard of care for treating these patients - even in the absence of compelling clinical evidence - we are conducting a randomized, controlled trial in order to test the hypothesis that lumbar epidural steroid injections improve functional status and pain associated with spinal stenosis. The main objective of the study is to conduct a blinded, randomized controlled trial (RCT) in elderly patients with spinal stenosis to test if the effectiveness of epidural steroid injections (ESI) plus local anesthetic (LA) is greater than LA alone.

Enrollment

400 patients

Sex

All

Ages

50+ years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Pain in the low back, buttock, and/or lower extremity (pain NRS>=5) with standing, walking and/or spinal extension (buttock/leg>back pain).
Modified Roland-Morris score of at least 7.
Mild-severe lumbar central canal spinal stenosis (Boden et al. criteria18) identified by MRI or CT scan.
Lower extremity symptoms consistent with neurogenic claudication.
Must be able to read English and complete the assessment instruments.
Age 50 or older.

Exclusion criteria

Cognitive impairment that renders the patient unable to give informed consent or provide accurate data.
Clinical co-morbidities that could interfere with the collection of data concerning pain and function.

Known dx of fibromyalgia, chronic widespread pain, amputees, parkinsons, head injury, dementia, stroke, other neurologic conditions Collect date about cervical spinal stenosis, painful peripheral neuropathy, EMGs
Severe vascular, pulmonary or coronary artery disease that limits ambulation including recent myocardial infarction (within 6 months).
Spinal instability requiring surgical fusion.
Severe osteoporosis as defined by multiple compression fractures or a fracture at the same level as the stenosis.
Metastatic cancer.
Excessive alcohol consumption or evidence of non-prescribed or illegal drug use.
Possible pregnancy or other reason that precludes the use of fluoroscopy.
Concordant pain with internal rotation of the hip (or known hip joint pathology).
Active local or systemic infection.
Abnormal coagulation.
Allergy to local anesthetic, steroid or contrast.
Previous lumbar spine surgery.
Epidural steroid injection within previous 6 months.

Trial design

Primary purpose

Treatment

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Parallel Assignment

Masking

Triple Blind

400 participants in 2 patient groups

Epidural Steroid injection

Experimental group

Description:

Epidural steroid injectate will be 2cc of .25 - 1% lidocaine followed by 1-3 cc of 40 mg/cc Kenalog (i.e. 40-120 mg Kenalog) or an equivalent steroid medication (depo-medrol 60-120 mg, betamethasone 6-12 mg or dexamethasone 8-10 mg) in an opaque syringe. Intervention: Epidural steroid with local anesthetic injection 2cc of .25 - 1% lidocaine and glucocorticoid (Kenalog 40-120 mg, depo-medrol 60-120 mg, betamethasone 6-12 mg or dexamethasone 8-10 mg)

Treatment:

Drug: Epidural steroid injection

Procedure: Epidural steroid with local anesthetic injection

Epidural local anesthetic injection

Active Comparator group

Description:

Intervention: Epidural injectate will be 2cc of .25-1% lidocaine followed by 1-3cc of 1% lidocaine in an opaque syringe.

Treatment:

Drug: Epidural local anesthetic injection