An interventional study of Quadratus lumborum block and Local anesthetic infiltration in Post-operative Pain, Opioid Use and Cleft Palate, sponsored by Medical University of South Carolina. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 6 Years to 18 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-09.
Sponsored by Medical University of South Carolina · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
This study will consist of patients ages 6-18 who are undergoing a surgery on the hard or soft palate of the mouth (palatoplasty), with removal of bone from the front of the hip (anterior iliac bone graft harvesting). The patients will be randomized to receive either a unilateral QL block by an anesthesiologist, or local anesthetic infiltration at the surgical incision by the surgeon. The primary aim will be assessing post-operative pain in the first 48 hours after surgery. Secondary outcomes will include pain medication use in the first 48 hours after surgery, block resolution time, and evaluating any complications associated with the QL block or local anesthetic infiltration.
5,640 studies on the registry are indexed under Pain, Postoperative; 1,230 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 46 is below the median of 75 across 4,821 interventional studies indexed under Pain, Postoperative.
Browse Pain, Postoperative studies →Medical University of South Carolina is the lead sponsor of 874 studies on the registry; 166 are open to participants now.
Of its 131 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 104 (79%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
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Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
After induction of anesthesia and securement of appropriate airway device, the patient will be placed in position for the QL block. Using ultrasound guidance, the pediatric anesthesiology attending will perform unilateral QL block on the side of the anterior iliac bone graft harvest. The dose will be 0.2% ropivacaine, 1 mL per kilogram to a max of 20 mL with an additive of dexamethasone 4 mg. Ultrasonography will be used to identify external oblique, internal oblique, transverse abdominus and quadratus lumborum muscles. A 50 mm-150 mm block needle will be advanced under ultrasound guidance. Ropivacaine will be injected slowly with frequent aspiration to rule out incorrect needle placement. The anesthetic is deposited at the lateral edge of the QL after penetrating the transversus abdominus aponeurosis. Injection will continue to be observed with real time US guidance.
Procedure: Quadratus lumborum block
Patient will undergo induction of anesthesia as deemed appropriate by the attending pediatric anesthesiologist assigned to the case. After induction of anesthesia and securement of appropriate airway device the patient will be turned over to the surgical team to proceed with the operation. The surgeon will proceed with usual injection of local anesthetic as their standard of care; this medication will be charted by the circulating nurse in the Medication Administration Record with local anesthetic type and amount. At the conclusion of the procedure, to maintain the blind, the patient will have a bandage placed where the QL block would have been performed.
Procedure: Local anesthetic infiltration
After induction of anesthesia and securement of appropriate airway device, the patient will be placed in position for the QL block. Using ultrasound guidance, the pediatric anesthesiology attending will perform unilateral QL block on the side of the anterior iliac bone graft harvest. The dose will be 0.2% ropivacaine, 1 mL per kilogram to a max of 20 mL with an additive of dexamethasone 4 mg. Ultrasonography will be used to identify external oblique, internal oblique, transverse abdominus and quadratus lumborum muscles. A 50 mm-150 mm block needle will be advanced under ultrasound guidance. Ropivacaine will be injected slowly with frequent aspiration to rule out incorrect needle placement. The anesthetic is deposited at the lateral edge of the QL after penetrating the transversus abdominus aponeurosis. Injection will continue to be observed with real time US guidance.
After induction of anesthesia and securement of appropriate airway device the patient will be turned over to the surgical team to proceed with the operation. The surgeon will proceed with usual injection of local anesthetic as their standard of care; this medication will be charted by the circulating nurse in the Medication Administration Record with local anesthetic type and amount. At the conclusion of the procedure, to maintain the blind, the patient will have a bandage placed where the QL block would have been performed.
Pain Scores
Using the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale, patients will report their average pain from 0 hours post-op through 48-hours post-op at various intervals. In the Post-Anesthesia Recovery Unit, pain scores will be evaluated every 15 minutes as clinically able, until discharged from the PACU. On Post-Op Day 1 at 9:00 am, pains average pain score from discharge to PACU to midnight will be reported. At approximately 24-hours after surgery ends, pain scores from midnight to 23-hours post-op will be reported, then at the 48-hour post-op mark, pain scores from 24-hr post op to 48-hour post-op time will be recorded.
Time frame: 0-48 hours after surgery ends
Time to block resolution
Subjects will report the date and time that resolution of numbness over operative hip occurs or feeling of pain in operative hip returns.
Time frame: up to 7 days after surgery ends
Opioid Consumption up to 48 hours after surgery ends
Total morphine milligram equivalents (MME) will be calculated from pre-op to 48-hours after surgery ends.
Time frame: From the pre-operative phase up to 48 hours after surgery ends
Number of complications associated with each intervention
Complications associated with study participation will be evaluated.
Time frame: From the time the intervention is administered up to 48-hours after surgery ends.
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Started Jun 2024 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Jan 2027, 30 months after the start.
Of 2,089 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Pain, Postoperative, half reached primary completion within 11 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 6 and three quarters within 23. This study's planned 30 months is above that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 2,102 studies reached it within 11 months; a quarter within 6 and three quarters within 23.
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