NCT07397117

Comparing Ultrasound-Guided Transgluteal Nerve Block to Standard Care

Comparing Ultrasound-Guided Transgluteal Nerve Block to Standard Care for Emergency Department Patients With Low Back Pain and Sciatic Radiculopathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 100 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of California, San Francisco · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare transgluteal sciatic nerve block to standard of care to treat sciatic back pain in adult patients who present to the emergency department. The main question it aims to answer is: Is a transgluteal sciatic nerve block better than standard of care in improving pain in ER patients with sciatic back pain? If there is a comparison group: Researchers will compare patients who receive transgluteal sciatic nerve blocks to patients who receive standard of care to see if pain scores improve in ER patients with sciatic back pain. Participants will be randomized into the transgluteal sciatic nerve block group or the control group (standard of care). Participants will be asked to answer questions about their pain and will be asked to walk a timed short distance.

Conditions

• Sciatica Acute

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
PROCEDURE	nerve block with ropivacaine	Ultrasound-guided transgluteal sciatic nerve block with 10-20 mL of 0.2% ropivacaine injected around the affected sciatic nerve at the level of the greater trochanter
OTHER	Standard medical treatment	Standard ED analgesic management per departmental protocols (oral/IV NSAIDs, acetaminophen, opioids, muscle relaxants).

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-04-25
• Primary completion: 2026-12-31
• Completion: 2027-01-31
• First posted: 2026-02-09
• Last updated: 2026-04-15

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States