Week-Long nerve block after amputation may stop phantom pain and slash opioid use
NCT ID NCT03461120
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study tests whether a continuous nerve block given for 7 days after a leg amputation can prevent phantom limb pain and improve physical and emotional function. About 200 adults scheduled for a lower-limb amputation will receive either a high-concentration numbing medicine or a low-concentration one for one day followed by saltwater. The goal is to see if the longer, denser block reduces pain and the need for opioids.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- bupivacaine or ropivacaine (local anesthetics)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a standard way to prevent chronic phantom limb pain and reduce reliance on opioids after amputation.
- What could go wrong
- This is a Phase 4 trial, so the drugs are already approved, but the specific 7-day block approach may not prove better than standard care. Results may not apply to all amputation types.
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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208 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Mar 2018
- Finished
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Aug 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: * scheduled for a unilateral lower limb amputation distal to the femoral head and including at least one metatarsal bone * continuous peripheral nerve blocks are planned for perioperative analgesia * willing to have their perineural infusion extended for a total of 7 days * willing to undergo ambulatory perineural infusion following hospital discharge Exclusion Criteria: * Known hepatic or renal insufficiency * allergy to any study medication * pregnancy * incarceration * inability to communicate with the investigators * comorbidity precluding either perineural catheter insertion or subsequent ambulatory perineural infusion (e.g., current infection at the catheter insertion site, immune-compromised status of any etiology) * weight \< 45 kg * inability to contact the investigators during the perineural infusion, and vice versa (e.g., lack of telephone access) * investigator opinion that the potential subject is not a good candidate for this particular study
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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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Boston VA
Boston, Massachusetts, 02130, United States
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Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
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Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, Ohio, 44195, United States
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Fairview Hospital
Cleveland, Ohio, 44111, United States
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Mass. General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States
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Naval Medical Center San Diego
San Diego, California, 92134, United States
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University California San Diego
San Diego, California, 92103, United States
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University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas, 77030, United States