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Not yet recruitingNCT05279937Updated Sep 29, 2026

The Ultrasound-Guided Dextrose Prolotherapy in Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Patients

A Phase 3 interventional study of Dextrose 50% Intravenous Solution and Lidocaine 1% Injectable Solution in Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Low Back Pain and Sacroiliac Instability, sponsored by Tulane University. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-29.

Sponsored by Tulane University · Phase 3, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
40
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

  1. Specific Aim: To show the safety and efficacy of prolotherapy injection for chronic sacroiliac and myofascial lumbar pain while standardizing an ultrasound guided injection technique
  2. Specific Aim: To demonstrate that dextrose prolotherapy subjectively decreases lumbar back pain (LBP) associated with chronic sacroiliac (SI) and myofascial lumbar back pain/injury in patients with Hypermobile-Type Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS).
  3. Specific Aim: To use ultrasound (US) guidance to identify SI and myofascial lumbar back pain/injury for targeted dextrose prolotherapy treatment and to provide objective measures of decreasing inflammation via Power Doppler and ligament repair.
  4. Specific Aim: To determine if US-guided dextrose prolotherapy decreases the direct costs of care for chronic LBP in contrast to conventional therapies by reducing return visits, specialty referrals, physical therapy, medications, and unnecessary procedures.
Read the detailed description

The goal of this research project is to prove that ultrasound-guided prolotherapy is a cost effective and curative treatment option for chronic low back pain in Hypermobile-Type Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS). Ultrasound (US) will be used to assist in proper evaluation of the thoracolumbar fascial complex (TLFC), long posterior sacroiliac ligament (LPSL), multifidi and gluteus maximus along with precise administration of medication into identified regions of interest. By comparing targeted lidocaine and concentrated dextrose (prolotherapy) injections, placebo effect or therapeutic local trauma created by the needle, like dry needling can be ruled out. The combination of subjective data collection with Owestry Disability Index (ODI) and the Number Rating Scale (NRS) assessments and objective findings on ultrasound imaging such as Pixel Ratio and ligament integrity will provide sufficient information to determine if prolotherapy is effective at reducing inflammation, providing prolonged pain relief, and return to function in patients with hEDS.

02

Conditions studied

  • Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
  • Low Back Pain
  • Sacroiliac Instability

Keywords

  • Prolotherapy
  • Dextrose
  • Ultrasound
03

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 75 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Men and women between the ages of 18-75
  • Subjects who resent to Tulane Institute of Sports Medicine and Tulane Lakeside with low back pain that is diagnosed as chronic (>3 months) SI dysfunction or myofascial lumbar pain with a diagnosis of hEDS per The International Consortium on Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Related Disorders diagnostic criteria.
  • Diagnosis will include but not be limited to physical exam findings consistent with tenderness to palpation over the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) or posterior superior iliac crest, and upper outer quadrant of the gluteus maximus.
  • Diagnosis will also include US-guided tenderness to palpation of the thoracolumbar facial complex insertion into the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS), SI, or gluteus maximus.
  • Further testing will include US evaluation using a General Electric Logiq E ultrasound machine to look for any evidence of structural abnormality or reactive hyperemia of the TLFC, LPSL, multifidus or gluteus maximus.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients >75 and \< 18 years old.
  • Any patient with evidence of lumbar radiculopathy, acute lower back pain, pregnancy, prior lumbosacral surgery, opiate use within the last 6 months, steroid exposure within 6 weeks, NSAID exposure within 2 weeks.
  • Patients who are unwilling to stop taking or admit to receiving NSAIDs or any form of corticosteroids during the study.
  • Patients with a history of bleeding disorders, severe thrombocytopenia, immunodeficiency disorder, and hypersensitivity of local anesthetics of amide type will be excluded along with any patient who actively has systemic bacterial infection with fever, skin infection over the injection site, or takes anti-platelet/anti-coagulant medication.
  • Patients with comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or any other condition that increases risk of infection may be excluded from the study pending severity and current treatment of their condition.
  • Patients receiving workers compensation, disability or who are involved in litigation will also be excluded due to risk of secondary gain.
  • Physical exam findings, X-rays, and US imaging will be utilized to determine eligibility.
04

Study design

Phase
Phase 3
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Investigator)
Enrollment
40 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Prolotherapy

    5mL of 50% Dextrose + 5mL of 1% Lidocaine (Prolotherapy).

    Drug: Dextrose 50% Intravenous Solution

  • Active comparator
    Control

    10mL of 1% Lidocaine (Control)

    Drug: Lidocaine 1% Injectable Solution

Interventions

  • DrugDextrose 50% Intravenous Solution

    5mL of 50% Dextrose + 5mL of 1% Lidocaine (Prolotherapy).

  • DrugLidocaine 1% Injectable Solution

    10mL of 1% Lidocaine (Control)

05

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Measuring the functionality of the lumbar spine by using Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire in patients with Hypermobile-Type Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS)

    The functionality of the lumbar spine will be measured by Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire, which is a tool to measure a patient's permanent functional disability. Each patient uses the questioner the first time they are in clinic and then in each of the follow up visits post treatment until the study completion. The questioner determines if the patient has sustained clinical improvement. The higher the score the more severe low back pain is.

    Time frame: 12 Months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Measuring the change of low back pain via the number rating scale in patients with Hypermobile-Type Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS)

    The change in low back pain will be measured by the number rating scale, which is a scale from 1 to 10 measuring low back pain. The higher the score the more severe the pain is in the low back.

    Time frame: 12 Months

  2. The measure of soft tissue inflammation via ultrasound in patients with Hypermobile-Type Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS)

    Inflammation will be measured by Doppler ultrasound to determine the degree of inflammation in the area of interest which is measured as Pixel Ration (PR) to show if there is a change or decrease of inflammation with prolotherapy treatment.

    Time frame: 12 Months

  3. The measure of ligament integrity via ultrasound in patients with Hypermobile-Type Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS)

    Ligament Integrity will be measured by ultrasound, which will be used to evaluate the quality of ligamentous structures before and after prolotherapy treatment to determine if prolotherapy has the ability to promote tissue regeneration.

    Time frame: 12 Months

06

Study locations

1 site
  • Tulane Hospital and Clinics
    New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, United States
    • Orsula Staka, MBA · Contact · ostaka@tulane.edu · 628-800-4354
    • Jacques Courseault, MD · Principal investigator
07

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05279937
Lead sponsor
Tulane University
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Mar 15, 2022
Start date
Dec 2026 (estimated)
Primary completion
Dec 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Sep 29, 2026

Study contacts

Orsula Staka, MBA
Contact
ostaka@tulane.edu
628-800-4354
Jacques Courseault, MD
principal investigator · Tulane University

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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