NCT07447271

Ultrasound Guided Cervical Selective Nerve Root Block Versus Fluoroscopic Guided Cervical Transforaminal Epidural Block

Comparison of the Therapeutic Efficacy and Safety of Ultrasound-guided Cervical Selective Nerve Root Block and Fluoroscopic Guided Cervical Transforaminal Epidural Block in Patients With Cervical Radiculopathy: A Retrospective Study

• Status: Active Not Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 330 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study retrospectively analyzed medical records and imaging records (ultrasound images, fluoroscopy-guided images) of US-CSNRB and FL-CTFEB procedures performed at the Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital Pain Clinic outpatient department from May 1, 2019, to April 30, 2024. It compared the therapeutic effects (pain reduction), procedure-related indicators (comparison of contrast agent spread), safety (incidence of complications), and changes in analgesic usage. The primary outcome of this study is the difference in pain chage (Visual Analogue Scale, VAS) between patients undergoing US-CSNRB and FL-CTFEB. The secondary outcomes are comparison of contrast agent spread and comparison of procedure-related complication rates.

Detailed description

The following information is retrospectively collected and observed for comparison based on the electronic medical records of selected patients. 1. Patient characteristics: Age, height, weight, gender, lesion segment (e.g., C6/C7), comorbidities 2. Procedure-related indicators: 1\) Procedure method (US-CSNRB or FL-CTFEB) 2) Procedure site, procedure level, adverse events during the procedure 3) Contrast agent distribution pattern: Extent of contrast agent spread into the epidural space and into the nerve roots during the procedure 3. Treatment efficacy indicators: VAS (based on arm pain) at the first visit -baseline, the second visit - 1 month after procedure, the third visit - 2 month after procedure, and 4th visit - 3 months post-procedure; treatment success rate (VAS score reduction of 30% or more) 4. Safety indicators: Presence and type of procedure-related complications documented in medical records (e.g., intravascular injection, nerve injury, local anesthetic toxicity symptoms, transient motor paralysis, etc.).

Conditions

• Cervical Radiculopathy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
PROCEDURE	ultrasound guided cervical selective nerve root block	A patient presenting to the pain clinic with cervical neck pain and upper extremity radicular pain, whose symptoms did not improve with medication, demonstrated a positive Spurling test on physical examination, and showed cervical radiculopathy at the C3/4 to C7/T1 level on imaging studies (CT or MRI), underwent an ultrasound-guided cervical selective nerve root block
PROCEDURE	fluoroscopy-guided cervical transforaminal epidural block	A patient presenting to the pain clinic with cervical neck pain and upper extremity radicular pain, whose symptoms did not improve with medication, demonstrated a positive Spurling test on physical examination, and showed cervical radiculopathy at the C3/4 to C7/T1 level on imaging studies (CT or MRI), underwent a fluoroscopy-guided cervical transforaminal epidural block

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-12-22
• Primary completion: 2026-05-04
• Completion: 2026-05-04
• First posted: 2026-03-03
• Last updated: 2026-03-03

Locations

1 site across 1 country: South Korea