Nerve block could help older adults recover better from back surgery
NCT ID NCT05461092
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This early study looks at whether a nerve block called a thoracolumbar interfascial plane (TLIP) block can help older adults (65 and older) have less pain and a better recovery after spinal fusion surgery. The block uses a numbing medicine called bupivacaine. The study will enroll 50 people and mainly aims to see if a larger, more definitive trial is possible. Researchers will track pain, delirium, and other recovery measures for up to 12 weeks after surgery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- bupivacaine (a local anesthetic)
- What this could lead to
- If this approach works, it could lead to a larger study that may show nerve blocks help older adults have less pain and a smoother recovery after spinal fusion surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early feasibility study with only 50 people. It is designed to test if a bigger trial is possible, not to prove the treatment works. The nerve block may not reduce pain or improve recovery.
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
-
Early phase 1
The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.
- Participants
-
About 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Jan 2024
- 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
-
65 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: * Are 65 or older * Indicated for lumbar spinal fusion of less than or equal to 3 levels * Undergoing elective surgery * no contraindications to local anesthetic or procedures * no severe cardiac or respiratory disease * no preexisting cognitive dysfunction/dementia Exclusion Criteria: * 64 years old and younger * emergency treatment * pathologic fractures * seeking revision surgery * major liver or kidney dysfunction * coexisting hematological disorder or irreversible abnormal coagulation * patients with previous diagnosis of dementia or SLUMS score \<20 * patient unable to communicate/cooperate/language barrier * BMI\>40 * allergy to study medications * opioid tolerant (oral opioid intake morphine equivalent =\< 60 mg/day) * other sources of chronic pain like fibromyalgia * patients with associated significant CNS or respiratory disease (home oxygen requirements) * incarcerated patients * psychiatric illnesses preoperative neurological deficits greater than one motor group, less than three out of five motor functions * pregnant or breast feeding
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Delirium 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
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
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
-
University of Iowa
RECRUITINGIowa City, Iowa, 52242, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a common anesthetic stop Post-Surgery delirium in the elderly?
- Could a quieter, dimmer ICU protect Patients' brains?
- Can a daily supplement shield the brain after delirium?
- Brain surgery delirium: can real-time monitoring protect older patients?
- Could daylight hold the key to preventing delirium?
- Spinal cord stimulation: a surprising key to unlocking metabolism?