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Study identifier: NCT04542720 Synced from ClinicalTrials.gov · July 29, 2026
● Recruiting

Decompression Versus Decompression and Fusion

Condition: Adjacent Segment Disease  ·  Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital

PhaseN/A
Planned participants96
Who can joinAll sexes, 18 Years to no upper limit
Healthy volunteersYes

About this study

Adjacent segment disease (ASD) in the lumbar spine is a well-known sequela of lumbar fusion surgery. The annual incidence of adjacent level re-operation is approximately 3% with a ten-year prevalence of 20-30%. Frequently, the surgical treatment involves decompression of the adjacent level coupled with extension of the instrumentation and fusion. Advocates of this paradigm cite the altered kinematics and biomechanics of levels adjacent to a lumbar fusion mass. Furthermore, decompressed levels adjacent to a fused segments are associated with higher rates of ASD in retrospective studies. Yet, a retrospective review of higher quality data concluded decompression adjacent to single-level fusion provides similar outcomes compared to fusions extending across the decompressed segments. Given the conflicting data currently available, higher quality data are needed to guide surgical decision-making in ASD. The purpose of this trial is to prospectively compare decompression and decompression with fusion in patients with lumbar ASD.

This description comes directly from the study's public registry record.

Talk to the study team

Daniel Tobert, MD  ·  617-643-3932  ·  DTOBERT@mgb.org

Amelia L Osgood, BA  ·  617-643-3932  ·  aosgood2@mgh.harvard.edu

Always discuss trial participation with your own doctor first.

Locations (1)

Massachusetts General HospitalBoston, Massachusetts, United StatesRecruiting

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Source record: clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04542720