New pain relief method for broken ribs shows promise in small study
NCT ID NCT05288985
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether adding a nerve block catheter (erector spinae plane) to standard painkillers helps people with chest trauma breathe better and have less pain. Forty adults with broken ribs and poor lung function were randomly assigned to get the catheter plus usual care or just usual care. The main goal was to see if lung capacity improved within 24 hours.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Ropivacaine (local anesthetic) delivered via erector spinae plane catheter
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simpler, safer pain relief option for chest trauma patients, potentially reducing breathing problems.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study with only 40 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The catheter procedure carries risks like infection or nerve damage.
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
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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
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40 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jul 2022
- Finished
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Jan 2026
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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: * Age ≥ 18 years * Unibilateral chest trauma with fracture \> 2 ribs on one side * Admission to Intensive Care Medicine * Non-intubated patient, able to respond to a pain scale score and perform a vital capacity * Numerical Scale \> 3 on forced inspiration despite use of systemic analgesics * CV ≤ 80% theoretical at inclusion * Time \< 24 hours from admission to the service to inclusion * Time \< 48h between trauma and inclusion * Patient affiliated to the social security system or entitled to it * Patient able to understand the protocol, having agreed to participate in the study and having given express oral consent Exclusion Criteria: * Intubated, ventilated patient * Indication for laparotomy or thoracotomy * Spinal cord injury * Severe head injury * Bilateral thoracic trauma * Patient included in a category 1 clinical interventional study involving analgesic treatment * Patients under legal protection or deprived of liberty * Pregnant or breastfeeding women, or women with childbearing potential without effective contraception * Refusal to participate * Unable to understand the protocol and its requirements and/or unable to give express oral consent
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Centre Hospitalier Départemental Vendée
La Roche-sur-Yon, France
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