Ketamine infusion may ease chronic nerve pain in brachial plexus injuries
NCT ID NCT04933149
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether giving ketamine during and after surgery can reduce chronic nerve pain in people with traumatic brachial plexus injuries. About 100 adults will receive a ketamine infusion during their reconstructive surgery and for 24 hours afterward. Researchers will measure changes in pain scores and opioid use 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
- Ketamine
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a new way to manage severe nerve pain after brachial plexus injuries, potentially reducing reliance on opioids.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase study (100 people) at a single center, so results may not apply to everyone. Ketamine can cause side effects like dizziness or hallucinations, and the pain relief may be temporary.
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
-
Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
-
About 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Dec 2021
- Expected to finish
-
Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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 years and older
- 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 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: * Patients with neuropathic pain associated with avulsion injuries following traumatic brachial plexus injuries scheduled for brachial plexus exploration and reconstruction by three senior surgeons at Mayo Clinic (AYS, ATB, RJS): * Neuropathic pain defined as pain directly related to injury to the somatosensory system, and score \>4/10 on the Douleur Neuropathique en 4 Questions (DN4) neuropathic pain questionnaire. Symptoms of neuropathic pain include allodynia, hyperalgesia, burning, needle-like, throbbing, shooting, or electrical-type sensation. * Nerve root avulsion on CT myelogram. * Traumatic brachial plexus injuries defined as blunt or penetrating trauma resulting in injury and dysfunction along the course of the brachial plexus defined as nerve roots C5-T1, trunks, divisions, cords, and terminal branches. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients without pain following traumatic brachial plexus injuries. * Patients with brachial plexus injuries due to non-traumatic causes such as tumors, infection, radiation, or inflammatory disorders such as Parsonage Turner Syndrome. * Patients who do not require surgery for exploration/reconstruction at the brachial plexus. * Patients under 18 years of age. * Contraindication to ketamine use (severe hepatic dysfunction -cirrhosis, high-risk coronary artery disease, poorly controlled psychiatric condition- schizophrenia.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Brachial plexus injury are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
-
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
-
Mayo Clinic in Rochester
Rochester, Minnesota, 55905, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can breathing power boost balance and Well-Being in paralympic athletes?
- Thigh muscle transplant may bring back elbow bending after nerve damage
- Arm position during ICU Face-Down care may harm nerves
- New tendon transfer surgery helps patients with paralyzed hands regain grip
- Could a One-Hour shock boost nerve repair after severe arm injury?
- Shock therapy? electrical pulses aim to restore movement in paralysis