Photobiomodulation for Lower Back Pain Post Spinal Fusion and Decompression Surgery

NCT ID: NCT06282770

Last Updated: 2026-01-13

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

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

80 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-07-01

Study Completion Date

2026-07-01

Brief Summary

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After spinal fusion and decompression surgery there is a possible risk of developing chronic back pain. After surgery there is typically inflammation around the operation site and this inflammation can be painful and debilitating to patients.

Many possible treatment plans have been incorporated to assist the patient with recovery - notably medications, physical therapy, and braces. However, few studies have looked at laser diodes that utilize high-power laser lights that are aimed at decreasing pain and inflammation. Investigators aim to look compare patients using a back brace with laser diodes within versus those who wear a normal brace used as a placebo. Investigators will also assess the patient's surgical wound to monitor the progression of wound healing while using the brace.

Detailed Description

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This study will review charts of 80 patients who have experienced chronic back pain at various operative sites of a teaching medical institution, including the inpatient academic medical center, outpatient ambulatory hospital, and regional trauma center. Deidentified demographic data that will be collected via extensive chart reviews include age, sex, BMI, preoperative diagnosis, pre- and post-operative pain scales, motor exams, and function questionnaires. Operative data will include operative time and estimated blood loss (EBL).

Patients that have already expressed interest in receiving spinal fusion or decompression surgery will come into clinic for consultation and enrollment in the study. Regardless of study participation, patients will receive either surgery. For the study, 80 subjects will be enrolled (40 with minimally invasive spinal fusion and 40 with minimally invasive decompression surgeries). Prior to the surgery date, subjects will complete pre-operation questionnaires that include the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Oswestry-Low-Back-Pain-Disability Index (ODI) to self-evaluate their current pain level and ability to perform basic lifestyle functions, respectively. Following surgery, enrolled subjects will then receive a brace that contains laser diodes or a sham (placebo) brace that appears identical to the diode-containing brace but lacks functional diodes. Subjects will wear the brace 3 times/day for 12 minutes each session for 12 weeks. They will complete and submit via the REDCap electronic submission portal the VAS and ODI questionnaires at the following time points after surgery: 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks. Subjects will also submit photos of their surgical scars for evaluation by the research study team members. Scar and wound healing will be assessed using image analysis software (Image J) according to the Stony Brook Scar Evaluation scale. Photos will be stored on a safe and secure encrypted server.

Conditions

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Spinal Fusion Chronic Lower Back Pain

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Participants are assigned in parallel to one of two arms (active photobiomodulation brace or sham brace). Assignment occurs once prior to surgery and remains fixed for the duration of the 12-week study. There is no crossover between arms.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Participants Investigators Outcome Assessors
Participants in this study will not be told which belt is the sham diode brace or which is the functional diode brace. The assessor of the study will also be blinded to which belt each subject has, and data will be analyzed blindly based on patient ID alone.

Study Groups

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Brace With Electrical Diodes

The patient will be given a laser diode brace to wear for 1 year. At the defined time points following surgery (2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks), subjects will be asked to complete pain and ability-to-function questionnaires and submit scar/wound images to determine their status at each time interval.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Laser Diode Brace

Intervention Type DEVICE

The device is a brace with laser diodes. The braces light up and the red light has therapeutic abilities.

Sham Brace Without Electrical Diodes

The patient will be given a sham/placebo laser diode brace to wear for 1 year. At the defined time points following surgery (2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks), subjects will be asked to complete pain and ability-to-function questionnaires and submit scar/wound images to determine their status at each time interval.

Group Type SHAM_COMPARATOR

Sham Laser Diode Brace

Intervention Type DEVICE

The Sham brace has no therapeutic ability and will act as a placebo.

Interventions

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Laser Diode Brace

The device is a brace with laser diodes. The braces light up and the red light has therapeutic abilities.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Sham Laser Diode Brace

The Sham brace has no therapeutic ability and will act as a placebo.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Other Intervention Names

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Laser Brace Shame Brace

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Subject will have undergone minimally invasive spinal fusion surgery or spinal decompression surgery in their lower back L1-S1.
* Have low back pain of \>3 months and a pain threshold of \> 4 (as described by the the subject), age \> 18 years, and English speaking to eliminate possible miscommunication and consequent human error regarding belt use.
* Subject must have had surgery at minimum to 1 year prior to start of study and no more than 5 years prior to start to study

Exclusion Criteria

* Patients with tumors
* Current infection
* Drug misuse history
* Skin conditions preclude the use of laser belt
* Severe spondylolisthesis, spondylolysis, spinal stenosis, ankylosing spondylitis
* Previous low back surgery exceeding 5 years to initial start date.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

75 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University of California, Los Angeles

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Daniel Lu, MD, PhD

Neurosurgeon

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Sara K Chung, PA

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

University of California, Los Angeles

Sandra M Holley, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

University of California, Los Angeles

Sichen Li, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

University of California, Los Angeles

Adreanne Rivera, BS

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

University of California, Los Angeles

Locations

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Semel Institute of Neuroscience at UCLA

Los Angeles, California, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

UCLA Clinical and Translational Research Center

Los Angeles, California, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Daniel Lu, Md, PhD

Role: CONTACT

310-267-2975

Sandra Holley, PhD

Role: CONTACT

3108252763

Facility Contacts

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Daniel Lu, MD, PhD

Role: primary

310-267-2975

Mark Yamamoto, BS

Role: backup

424-535-9634

Daniel Lu, MD, PhD

Role: primary

310-267-2975

Adreanne Rivera, BS

Role: backup

424-946-5712

Other Identifiers

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IRB#23-000444

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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