NCT04588389

Comparison of Quadratus Lumborum Block Types

Terminated Phase 3 Results posted Last updated 28 July 2025

What this trial tests

Phase 3 trial testing Ropivacaine injection Location 1 in Pain in 9 participants. Terminated before completion.

Timeline

1 December 2020

Primary endpoint
14 May 2021

14 May 2021

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	University of Massachusetts, Worcester
Phase	Phase 3
Status	Terminated
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	parallel
Masking	double
Primary purpose	treatment
Enrollment	9
Start date	1 December 2020
Primary completion	14 May 2021
Estimated completion	14 May 2021
Sites	1 location across United States

Drugs / interventions tested

• Ropivacaine injection Location 1 — full drug profile →
• Ropivacaine injection Location 2 — full drug profile →
• Multimodal Pharmacological Management — full drug profile →

Conditions studied

• Pain — all drugs for Pain →
• Opioid Use — all drugs for Opioid Use →
• Lumbar Disc Herniation — all drugs for Lumbar Disc Herniation →

Sponsor

University of Massachusetts, Worcester

Who can join

Adults 40 to 80, any sex, with Pain or Opioid Use. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Results — posted to ClinicalTrials.gov

Per-arm endpoint measurements with 95% confidence intervals where reported. Source: trial results section.

Opioid Consumption Primary · 12 hours

Dose of the opioids consumed

Group	Value	95% CI
Group 2 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block II	30	7.5 – 37.5
Group 3 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block III	17.5	7.5 – 22.5

Opioid Consumption Primary · 24 hours

Dose of the opioids consumed

Group	Value	95% CI
Group 2 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block II	31	7.5 – 56.25
Group 3 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block III	20	15 – 37.5

Opioid Consumption Primary · 36 hours

Dose of the opioids consumed

Group	Value	95% CI
Group 2 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block II	35.625	15 – 52.5
Group 3 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block III	20	7.5 – 30

Opioid Consumption Primary · 48 hours

Dose of the opioids consumed

Group	Value	95% CI
Group 2 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block II	31.875	15 – 45
Group 3 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block III	25	15 – 30

Pain Scale Secondary · 0 Hours

Numerical Pain Scale Rating, likert scale of 0-10 with a 0 indicating absence of pain and 10 indicating worst pain imaginable.

Group	Value	95% CI
Group 2 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block II	8	5 – 10
Group 3 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block III	3.67	0 – 7

Pain Scale Secondary · 1 Hour

Numerical Pain Scale Rating of 0-10 with a 0 indicating absence of pain and 10 indicating worst pain imaginable.

Group	Value	95% CI
Group 2 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block II	4.75	3 – 8
Group 3 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block III	2	0 – 4

Pain Scale Secondary · 6 Hours

Numerical Pain Scale Rating, likert scale of 0-10 with a 0 indicating absence of pain and 10 indicating worst pain imaginable.

Group	Value	95% CI
Group 2 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block II	5.25	3 – 8
Group 3 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block III	2.33	0 – 4

Pain Scale Secondary · 12 Hours

Numerical Pain Scale Rating, likert scale of 0-10 with a 0 indicating absence of pain and 10 indicating worst pain imaginable.

Group	Value	95% CI
Group 2 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block II	5.25	4 – 8
Group 3 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block III	5.33	4 – 8

Pain Scale Secondary · 18 Hours

Numerical Pain Scale Rating, likert scale of 0-10 with a 0 indicating absence of pain and 10 indicating worst pain imaginable.

Group	Value	95% CI
Group 2 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block II	6	4 – 9
Group 3 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block III	5.33	3 – 8

Pain Scale Secondary · 24 Hours

Numerical Pain Scale Rating, likert scale of 0-10 with a 0 indicating absence of pain and 10 indicating worst pain imaginable.

Group	Value	95% CI
Group 2 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block II	5.75	4 – 7
Group 3 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block III	4.67	3 – 6

Pain Scale Secondary · 30 Hours

Numerical Pain Scale Rating, likert scale of 0-10 with a 0 indicating absence of pain and 10 indicating worst pain imaginable.

Group	Value	95% CI
Group 2 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block II	4.75	0 – 8
Group 3 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block III	2.3	0 – 5

Pain Scale Secondary · 36 Hours

Numerical Pain Scale Rating, likert scale of 0-10 with a 0 indicating absence of pain and 10 indicating worst pain imaginable.

Group	Value	95% CI
Group 2 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block II	6.25	4 – 9
Group 3 Standard of Care + Quadratus Lumborum Block III	6.33	4 – 10

Sponsor's own description

This study will compare the quality of analgesia and reduction of opioid use, between standard of care and two groups of local anesthetic blocks in different location in the quadratus lumborum plane, for postoperative pain control after lumbar spinal fusion and if it reduces opioid consumption.

Publications & conference data

No peer-reviewed publications indexed yet for this trial.