Could a squirt of steroid during disc surgery ease recovery?
NCT ID NCT04182997
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether applying a steroid (dexamethasone) directly to the surgical site during herniated disc surgery can lower pain and disability afterward. About 200 adults with a single-level lumbar disc herniation who have not improved with rest or therapy will be randomly assigned to receive either the steroid or a saltwater rinse. Researchers will compare pain scores and functional disability over time.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- dexamethasone (a steroid)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could give surgeons a simple way to lower pain and speed recovery after disc surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, single-center trial. The steroid may not help more than placebo, and there is a small risk of infection or other complications.
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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Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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About 200 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2019
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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: * Presenting to the University of Missouri hospital system - including the University of Missouri Hospital and Missouri Orthopaedic Institute - with a clinical assessment indicative of a lumbar disc herniation * Failed conservative treatment - rest, anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy * Radiculopathy present - positive tension signs or sensory/motor neurologic deficits present * Recent MRI confirming single-level lumbar disc herniation corresponding to clinical evaluation Exclusion Criteria: * Concomitant spinal stenosis, segmental instability, or spondylolisthesis * Previous surgery at the affected level or recurrent herniation * Underlying disease that may affect response to steroids - immunocompromise, use of chronic steroids or immunosuppression * Pregnancy - qualitative human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) testing will be performed prior to enrollment * Diagnosis of or symptoms concerning for cauda equina syndrome
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Missouri Orthopaedic Institute
RECRUITINGColumbia, Missouri, 65202, United States
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