New surgery showdown: which technique best stops phantom limb pain?
NCT ID NCT06840262
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This pilot study tests two surgical methods—targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) and regenerative peripheral nerve interfaces (RPNI)—alone and together to reduce chronic and phantom limb pain in cancer patients who have had an amputation. About 45 adults will be randomly assigned to one of three groups. The goal is to see which approach is safest and most effective at easing pain.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- surgical procedures (targeted muscle reinnervation and regenerative peripheral nerve interfaces)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could identify which surgical technique best reduces chronic and phantom limb pain after amputation in cancer patients, improving quality of life.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study with only 45 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The techniques are surgical and carry 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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About 45 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Aug 2020
- Expected to finish
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Feb 2027
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: * Patients greater than or equal to 18 years of age who are receiving an amputation for oncologic reasons * Patients with available mixed major nerves and donor motor nerves in the amputation stump or reconstructive tissue * Patients able to complete informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Patients under 18 years of age * Patients unable to give consent * Patients receiving an amputation for non-oncologic purposes * Patients with amputations performed for immediate palliation (life expectancy less than 3 months), as this technique takes a minimum of 3-6 months for effect * Patients with multiple limb amputations * Patients receiving nerve management in a delayed fashion (patients who have previously received an amputation and present with neuroma)
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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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M D Anderson Cancer Center
RECRUITINGHouston, Texas, 77030, United States
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