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Can a simple needle angle change how well steroid injections relieve sciatica?

NCT ID NCT06801990

Disease control Sponsor: Marmara University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Aug 28, 2026 · Last updated Aug 28, 2026

Summary

This trial tests whether the angle of the needle during an S1 transforaminal epidural steroid injection affects how the medication spreads and how well it relieves pain. About 63 adults with S1 nerve compression from a herniated disc will be randomly assigned to receive the injection at either a small or large needle angle under fluoroscopy. Researchers will compare contrast spread patterns, pain scores, and disability levels before the injection and at 1 hour, 3 weeks, and 3 months after. The goal is to find the best technique to improve outcomes and reduce risks for people with low back and leg pain.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
S1 transforaminal epidural steroid (dexamethasone) injection
What this could lead to
If it works, this could refine how doctors perform S1 steroid injections, improving pain relief and reducing complications for people with sciatica.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study, and the results may not apply to all patients. Injections carry rare but serious risks like nerve damage or stroke, though experienced doctors reduce these risks.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

63 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jan 2025

Finished

Aug 2025

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 65 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Being over 18 years of age * Having S1 nerve root compression due to paravertebral disc herniation at the L5-S1 level detected by MRI * Having history and physical examination findings consistent with S1 root compression * Patients with low back and leg pain who have not responded to conservative treatment methods * Being willing to participate in the study and having signed a consent form Exclusion Criteria: * Having undergone lumbosacral surgery * Presence of transitional vertebra * Presence of progressive motor deficit * Presence of local and/or systemic infection * History of malignancy * Patients with lumbar disc herniation causing root compression outside the L5/S1 level on MRI * Patients with bilateral S1 root compression on MRI * Presence of spinal stenosis * Pregnancy * Presence of known coagulopathy * Presence of known psychiatric disease diagnosis * History of allergy to any of the injection materials * Having received an epidural steroid injection within the last 3 months * Receiving systemic steroid treatment for any reason

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Low Back Pain radiculopathy

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Intravascular injection Low back pain (LBP) Lumbar radiculopathy

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Marmara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi

    Istanbul, Maltepe, 34854, Turkey (Türkiye)

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