A Phase 1/2 interventional study of Indocyanine Green and Fluorescence imaging in Disc Herniation, sponsored by Zhongnan Hospital. Completed at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 20 Years to 60 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-12-19.
Sponsored by Zhongnan Hospital · Phase 1/2, Interventional, and Diagnostic
In endoscopic spinal nerve root decompression surgery, the intraoperative nerve exploration is time-consuming and critical. According to statistics, the incidence of nerve root injury under spinal endoscope is 1.8-2.5%. Damage to nerve roots may lead to postoperative sensory retardation and motor weakness, thereby impairing the physical function of patients. A real-time auxiliary intraoperative nerve identification technology is necessary.
In this prospective, open-label, randomized, parallel controlled trial, 40 patients who undergo endoscopic spinal surgery are included. Subjects are randomly divided into control group and low, medium and high Indocyanine green(ICG) preoperative administration experimental group. Standard endoscopic spinal surgery is performed in the control group. Patients in the experimental group received an intravenous injection of ICG before surgery, and a standard endoscopic spinal surgery is performed with the use of a fluoroscopic endoscopic surgical imaging system to assist the surgeon in identifying and protecting the nerve roots.
The main objectives of this experiment are (i) to explore the safety and feasibility of ICG fluorescence imaging to assist in nerve root identification during endoscopic spinal surgery and (ii) the effectiveness of this technique for endoscopic search for nerve roots. The secondary objective is to explore the optimal ICG dosing regimen.
With the accelerated pace of the global aging society, the prevalence of degenerative diseases is increasing. At present, spinal degenerative diseases caused by body degeneration have become the most common type. With the continuous deepening of the research on spinal degenerative diseases and the continuous development, update and promotion of minimally invasive surgery technology and instruments, minimally invasive surgery has attracted more and more attention of spine surgeons due to its advantages of rapid recovery, small trauma and fewer complications.
The core of endoscopic spinal surgery is nerve root decompression. The procedure is centered on the nerve roots, which can be damaged with the slightest carelessness. According to statistics, the incidence of nerve root injury under spinal endoscope is 1.8-2.5%. Most of the injuries include the stimulation and edema of the nerve root during the operation, which may lead to postoperative sensory retardation and motor weakness, which will damage the patient's physical function and reduce overall satisfaction. The intraoperative nerve exploration is time-consuming and critical, and the variability of the patient's nerve anatomy will also add difficulties to the operation. A real-time auxiliary intraoperative nerve identification technology is necessary.
With the progress of optical technology, fluorescent-guided surgery has shown considerable prospects in assisting in identifying nerves. Indocyanine green (ICG) is the only fluorophore approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for intraoperative near-infrared imaging. It can emit near-infrared light after being irradiated by excitation light, which has the characteristics of high penetration depth, low spontaneous fluorescence and high sensitivity. At present, ICG near-infrared fluorescence imaging has been applied to tumor detection, lymphangiography and vascular perfusion evaluation. In recent years, more and more researchers have paid attention to the application value of ICG fluorescence imaging in neuroimaging. It has been applied to clinical research of thoracic sympathetic ganglion, facial nerve, phrenic nerve and pelvic nerve.
477 studies on the registry are indexed under Intervertebral Disc Displacement; 103 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 40 is below the median of 63 across 344 interventional studies indexed under Intervertebral Disc Displacement.
Browse Intervertebral Disc Displacement studies →Zhongnan Hospital is the lead sponsor of 103 studies on the registry; 48 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Standard endoscopic spinal surgery
The patients receive 0.5mg/kg ICG intravenous injection before surgery. The search for lumbar nerve roots is performed with the assistance of fluoroscopic endoscopic imaging equipment. And the procedure follows standard endoscopic spinal surgery procedures.
Drug: Indocyanine Green · Device: Fluorescence imaging
The patients receive 1mg/kg ICG intravenous injection before surgery. The search for lumbar nerve roots is performed with the assistance of fluoroscopic endoscopic imaging equipment. And the procedure follows standard endoscopic spinal surgery procedures.
Drug: Indocyanine Green · Device: Fluorescence imaging
The patients receive 2mg/kg ICG intravenous injection before surgery. The search for lumbar nerve roots is performed with the assistance of fluoroscopic endoscopic imaging equipment. And the procedure follows standard endoscopic spinal surgery procedures.
Drug: Indocyanine Green · Device: Fluorescence imaging
Preoperatively, a single dose of intravenous indocyanine green is administered
Also known as: ICG
Use of a spinal endoscopic fluorescent imaging system to assist surgeons in identifying and protecting nerve roots intraoperatively
Fluorescence imaging rate of nerve roots
Number of the nerve roots with fluorescent imaging in the experimental group/Total nerve roots in the experimental group×100%
Time frame: Intraoperative
Fluorescence signal ratio of nerve root to back fluorescence
Nerve root fluorescence intensity/Background fluorescence intensity
Time frame: Immediately postoperative
Time taken to find the nerve root endoscopically
Time from opening the ligamentum flavum to finding the nerve root in spinal endoscopic procedures
Time frame: Intraoperative
ICG-related adverse reactions
Time frame: Immediately after ICG administration to 30 min after administration
Visual analogue pain scale (Visual analogue scale, VAS)
The VAS pain score uses the VAS scale, with end 0 being no pain, graded 1-4 being mild pain, 5-6 being moderate pain, 7-9 being severe pain, and end 10 being unbearable pain. The higher the score, the more severe the pain level.
Time frame: 1 day before surgery, 1 day after surgery, 1 week after surgery, 1 month after surgery
Oswestry disability index（ODI）
The ODI score is based on the Oswestry Disability Index questionnaire. The lowest score was 0% and the highest score was 100%, with higher scores indicating more severe functional impairment.
Time frame: 1 day before surgery, 1 day after surgery, 1 week after surgery, 1 month after surgery
Surgical complications
Record any surgical complications that occurred in the patient within 1 week after surgery
Time frame: Within 1 week after surgery
Length of surgery
Use a timer to record the length of the surgery (accurate to the minute)
Time frame: From the beginning to the end of the surgery
This study is completed, as verified in Dec 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Intervertebral Disc Displacement→
Zhongnan Hospital