Evaluating Monitoring Techniques for Postoperative Spinal Cord Ischemia

NCT ID: NCT03074487

Last Updated: 2025-10-01

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Total Enrollment

50 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2017-01-31

Study Completion Date

2025-04-30

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

During open surgery of a thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysma (TAAA), diminished blood flow to the myelum can result in hypoxia, compromising proper function of the spinal cord.

Intraoperatively, motor evoked potentials (MEP) are elicited to measure the functional integrity of the spinal cord. MEPs have proven to be a reliable marker of spinal cord ischemia. Moreover, these potentials react within minutes, which facilitates interventions to restore the blood flow. Monitoring intraoperatively with this ancillary test has reduced the rate of paraparesis to \< 5%. Unfortunately, in the early postoperative period, spinal cord vulnerability is high. Therefore, some patients develop paraparesis, not during the surgical procedure, but after the surgical procedure. Postoperatively, suboptimal blood flow may lead to critical loss of function. This inadequate perfusion results in "delayed paraparesis". In the postoperative patient, it is not possible to measure MEPs when sedation is decreased, due to the high intensity of the electrical stimulus, which is unacceptably painful in the unanesthetized or partially anesthetized patient. Therefore ancillary tests are needed which can detect spinal cord ischemia postoperatively early, thus preceding the phase with clinically overt paraparesis. The test should be reliable and easy to perform for an extended period of time (up to several days).

The purpose of this study is to explore the usefulness of various neurophysiological tests regarding accuracy and feasibility for the detection of spinal cord ischemia. In particular, to find a diagnostic test which is acceptable for the unanesthetized or partially anesthetized patient and therefore can also be performed postoperatively. These tests will be examined in fully sedated as well as partially sedated patients.

The following candidate tests will be examined:

1. Long loop reflexes (LLR) consisting of F-waves.
2. Oxygenation measurements of the paraspinal muscles using Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS).

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Monitoring Postoperative Spinal Cord Ischemia Thoracoabdominal Aneurysm TAAA NIRS Long Loop Reflexes F-waves

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Observational Model Type

CASE_ONLY

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Near-infrared spectroscopy

Intervention Type DEVICE

Long loop reflex measurements

Intervention Type DEVICE

Other Intervention Names

Discover alternative or legacy names that may be used to describe the listed interventions across different sources.

NIRS F-waves

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Thoraco-abdominal aneurysm (TAA) of the descending aorta: Crawford type I,II, III, IV or V
* Repair using open surgical or endovascular procedure.
* Undergoing monitoring by motor evoked potentials (MEP) as part of the standard surgical procedure.

Exclusion Criteria

* Aneurysm only in ascending part of the aorta
* Standard contraindications for motor evoked potential (MEP) monitoring.
* Standard contraindications for electrode placement (skin wounds, etc.)
* No informed consent can be obtained prior to the procedure
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Maastricht University Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

MaastrichtUMC

Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Netherlands

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Jacobs MJ, Mess W, Mochtar B, Nijenhuis RJ, Statius van Eps RG, Schurink GW. The value of motor evoked potentials in reducing paraplegia during thoracoabdominal aneurysm repair. J Vasc Surg. 2006 Feb;43(2):239-46. doi: 10.1016/j.jvs.2005.09.042.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16476594 (View on PubMed)

Greiner A, Mess WH, Schmidli J, Debus ES, Grommes J, Dick F, Jacobs MJ. Cyber medicine enables remote neuromonitoring during aortic surgery. J Vasc Surg. 2012 May;55(5):1227-32; discussion 1232-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jvs.2011.11.121. Epub 2012 Feb 15.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22341581 (View on PubMed)

Armstrong KL, Wood D. Can infant death from child abuse be prevented? Med J Aust. 1992 Feb 17;156(4):290. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1992.tb139757.x. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 1738333 (View on PubMed)

Etz CD, Di Luozzo G, Zoli S, Lazala R, Plestis KA, Bodian CA, Griepp RB. Direct spinal cord perfusion pressure monitoring in extensive distal aortic aneurysm repair. Ann Thorac Surg. 2009 Jun;87(6):1764-73; discussion 1773-4. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2009.02.101.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19463592 (View on PubMed)

Jacobs MJ, Mess WH. The role of evoked potential monitoring in operative management of type I and type II thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms. Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2003 Oct;15(4):353-64. doi: 10.1053/s1043-0679(03)00084-4.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 14710377 (View on PubMed)

Etz CD, von Aspern K, Gudehus S, Luehr M, Girrbach FF, Ender J, Borger M, Mohr FW. Near-infrared spectroscopy monitoring of the collateral network prior to, during, and after thoracoabdominal aortic repair: a pilot study. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg. 2013 Dec;46(6):651-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ejvs.2013.08.018. Epub 2013 Sep 5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24099957 (View on PubMed)

Moerman A, Van Herzeele I, Vanpeteghem C, Vermassen F, Francois K, Wouters P. Near-infrared spectroscopy for monitoring spinal cord ischemia during hybrid thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair. J Endovasc Ther. 2011 Feb;18(1):91-5. doi: 10.1583/10-3224.1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21314355 (View on PubMed)

Boezeman RP, van Dongen EP, Morshuis WJ, Sonker U, Boezeman EH, Waanders FG, de Vries JP. Spinal near-infrared spectroscopy measurements during and after thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair: a pilot study. Ann Thorac Surg. 2015 Apr;99(4):1267-74. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2014.10.032. Epub 2015 Jan 14.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25596871 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

NL58137.068.16

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Predictive Value for Stroke
NCT00451529 UNKNOWN