Completed

A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial of Standardized C7-T1 Epidural Steroid Injections Versus Targeted Injection Via Cervical Epidural Catheter for the Treatment of Cervical Radicular Pain

0 criteria met from your profileSee at a glance how your profile meets each eligibility criteria.
What is being tested

Triamcinolone 80mg

Drug
Who is being recruted

Neurologic Manifestations+2

+ Pain

+ Signs and Symptoms

From 18 to 75 Years
See all eligibility criteria
How is the trial designed

Treatment Study

Phase 4
Interventional
Study Start: March 2014
See protocol details

Summary

Principal SponsorNorthwestern University
Last updated: January 27, 2026
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Study start date: March 1, 2014

Actual date on which the first participant was enrolled.

Cervical radicular pain is a common, painful, disabling problem, often treated by epidural steroid injection (ESI). Two techniques of steroid delivery into the cervical epidural space include the transforaminal and interlaminar approaches. We aimed to determine if the CIESI with versus without a catheter is associated with superior clinical outcomes at follow-up. We hypothesized that the use of a targeted epidural catheter technique would result in superior pain control, function, decreased analgesic use, and lower surgical incidence as compared to standard CIESI at C7-T1.

Official TitleA Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial of Standardized C7-T1 Epidural Steroid Injections Versus Targeted Injection Via Cervical Epidural Catheter for the Treatment of Cervical Radicular Pain
NCT02095197
Principal SponsorNorthwestern University
Last updated: January 27, 2026
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Protocol

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.
Design Details

79 patients to be enrolled

Total number of participants that the clinical trial aims to recruit.

Treatment Study

These studies test new ways to treat a disease, condition, or health issue. The goal is to see if a new drug, therapy, or approach works better or has fewer side effects than existing options.



Eligibility

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria: person's general health condition or prior treatments.
Conditions
Criteria

Any sex

Biological sex of participants that are eligible to enroll.

From 18 to 75 Years

Range of ages for which participants are eligible to join.

Healthy volunteers not allowed

If individuals who are healthy and do not have the condition being studied can participate.

Conditions

Pathology

Neurologic ManifestationsPainSigns and SymptomsPathological Conditions, Signs and SymptomsNeck Pain

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria: * All patients ages 18-75 with C2-6 unilateral radicular pain who are scheduled to undergo cervical epidural steroid injection treatment. * Pain lasting greater than 2 weeks. * Pain resistant to a trial of conservative therapy (i.e. oral steroids,nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, opioids, muscle relaxants, physical therapy or chiropractic care) Exclusion Criteria: * Patient refusal. * Lack of consent. * Systemic infection or local infection over planned injection site in posterior cervical spine. * Bleeding disorder, current use of anticoagulants or anti-platelet medications. * Intrinsic spinal cord lesions in the cervical region. * History of central neurologic, cerebrovascular, demyelinating or muscular disease. * Concomitant use of oral or injected steroids. * Allergy to medications being used for injection procedures. * Inability to communicate with staff or to participate in follow up. * Pregnancy. * Inability to perform handgrip or arm strength testing. * Cognitive deficit or motor neuron disease. * Daily opiate use that preceded the onset of cervical radicular symptoms or daily opiate use exceeding 3 months prior to study inclusion

Study Plan

Find out more about all the medication administered in this study, their detailed description and what they involve.
Treatment Groups
Study Objectives

2 intervention groups are designated in this study

This study does not include a placebo group 

Treatment Groups

Group I

Active Comparator
Cervical epidural steroid injection with Triamcinolone 80mg and 1 mL 1% lidocaine. Total volume is 2 cc. Catheter targeted delivery will be used to deliver the medication.

Group II

Cervical epidural steroid injection with Triamcinolone 80mg and 1 mL 1% lidocaine. Total volume is 2 cc. No Catheter Delivery will be used to deliver the medication.

Study Objectives

Primary Objectives

Secondary Objectives

Study Centers

These are the hospitals, clinics, or research facilities where the trial is being conducted. You can find the location closest to you and its status.

This study has 1 location

Suspended

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Chicago, United StatesOpen Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Google Maps
CompletedOne Study Center