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NCT Number: NCT07397117

Comparing Ultrasound-Guided Transgluteal Nerve Block to Standard Care

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare transgluteal sciatic nerve block to standard of care to treat sciatic back pain in adult patients who present to the emergency department.

The main question it aims to answer is: Is a transgluteal sciatic nerve block better than standard of care in improving pain in ER patients with sciatic back pain?

If there is a comparison group: Researchers will compare patients who receive transgluteal sciatic nerve blocks to patients who receive standard of care to see if pain scores improve in ER patients with sciatic back pain.

Participants will be randomized into the transgluteal sciatic nerve block group or the control group (standard of care). Participants will be asked to answer questions about their pain and will be asked to walk a timed short distance.

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Key information

Conditions

Sciatica Acute Mononeuropathies Nervous System Diseases Neuralgia Neurologic Manifestations Neuromuscular Diseases Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Peripheral Nervous System Diseases Radiculopathy Sciatic Neuropathy Sciatica Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of California, San Francisco

San Francisco, California, 94107, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Felipe Ocampo, MD

SUB_INVESTIGATOR

Jeanne Noble, MD

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Jeffrey Merz-Herrala, MD

SUB_INVESTIGATOR

Kavita Gandhi, MD

SUB_INVESTIGATOR

Nancy Anaya, MD

SUB_INVESTIGATOR

Tianyu Tang, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

628-247-7578

Tianyu Tang, MD

SUB_INVESTIGATOR

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Adults aged 18 years and older
  • Presentation to ED with:
  • Acute or acute-on-chronic pain consistent with sciatica, defined as unilateral lumbosacral radicular pain radiating from the lower back or gluteal region to the posterior leg, may extend distal to the knee.
  • Pain score ≥ 5/10 on Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)

Exclusion criteria

  • Known allergy to study medications (e.g., local anesthetics)
  • Coagulopathy or current anticoagulation therapy
  • Suspected or confirmed spinal infection, or tumor
  • Neurological deficits (bowel or bladder dysfunction, leg weakness)
  • Inability to provide informed consent

Treatment and study plan

nerve block with ropivacaine

Procedure

Ultrasound-guided transgluteal sciatic nerve block with 10-20 mL of 0.2% ropivacaine injected around the affected sciatic nerve at the level of the greater trochanter

Standard Medical Treatment

Other

Standard ED analgesic management per departmental protocols (oral/IV NSAIDs, acetaminophen, opioids, muscle relaxants).

Primary outcomes

  1. Pain scores

    Time frame: 30 minutes after intervention, time of ED disposition (at decision point of admission to the hospital or discharge which can be up to 6 hours), 24 hours after ED visit, 48 hours after ED visit

    Patients in each group will be asked their pain score 30 minutes after their received intervention and at time of ED disposition (at decision point of admission to the hospital or discharge which can be up to 6 hours). Patients will then be contacted 24 and 48 hours after intervention to ask their pain score

Secondary outcomes

  1. Ambulatory status

    Time frame: Before ED disposition, 24 and 48 hours after ED visit

    Before ED disposition, patients will be asked to perform another timed up and go (TUG) test. A patient rises from a chair, walks at a normal pace to a line (3 meters total), turns, walks back, and sits down. Patients will then be contacted 24 and 48 hours after intervention to ask about how their ambulatory status is.

  2. ED Bouncback

    Time frame: 30 days after ED visit

    A chart review will be performed after 30 days to assess bounce-back rate

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Felipe Ocampo, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

Tianyu Tang, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

628-247-7578

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of California, San Francisco

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Comparing Ultrasound-Guided Transgluteal Nerve Block to Standard Care for Emergency Department Patients With Low Back Pain and Sciatic Radiculopathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Acronym: TGSNB vs SoC

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2027
First posted
Feb 9, 2026
Registry last updated
Jun 2, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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