Extra foam pad for a more comfortable lumbar belt

Evaluation of the Comfort Increase Provided by an Additional Foam Pad on a Lumbar Belt "Cellacare Lumbal Classic - Lohmann & Rauscher" and Its Biophysical Impact

Not applicable Interventional Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint Etienne · NCT07355790

This study will test whether adding a foam pad to a lumbar belt makes it more comfortable and changes pressure on the back and disc hydration in healthy adults aged 18–50.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment15 (estimated)
Ages18 Years to 50 Years
SexAll
SponsorCentre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint Etienne Academic / other
Locations1 site (Saint-Etienne)
Trial IDNCT07355790 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

Healthy adult volunteers without lumbar pathology will wear a lumbar belt with and without an additional foam insert to compare comfort and biophysical effects. Comfort will be captured with subjective ratings while objective measures include pressure mapping and multiple MRI scans to measure intervertebral disc hydration and related changes. The protocol includes MRI sessions at specified evening times to compare baseline and post-wear states. The goal is to link any change in perceived comfort to measurable pressure and hydration differences.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal participants are healthy men or women aged 18–50 without lumbar pathology who are eligible for MRI and can give informed consent.

Not a fit: People with recent or ongoing lumbar pain, scoliosis, pregnancy or breastfeeding, implanted electronic devices, MRI contraindications, or those unable to consent are unlikely to benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the foam pad could make lumbar belts noticeably more comfortable and improve patients' willingness to wear them, potentially reducing mechanical load on spinal structures.

How similar studies have performed: Some prior work shows that padding can improve orthosis comfort, but combining pressure measurement with MRI-based disc hydration analysis is relatively novel.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Healthy volunteer, men or women, aged 18 to 50 years old without lumbar pathology.
* Volunteer beneficiary of a social security scheme.
* Volunteer informed about the study and having co-signed a consent form to participate to the study with the investigator

Exclusion Criteria:

* Protected persons
* Pregnant or breastfeeding women
* Persons deprived of freedom, hospitalised without consent, hospitalised with other ends then research.
* Adults under legal protection (protection of vulnerable adults) or not able to express consent.
* Persons showing gait difficulties (test on treadmill) or with neurological/joint pathologies promoting falls (Parkinson, hemiplegia, …)
* Patient seen by a doctor for lumbar pain in the 2 months prior to the inclusion.
* Patient suffering from scoliosis
* Refusal of consent
* Contraindication to MRI
* Patient carrying an internal electronic device (pacemaker, neurostimulator, insulin pump…)
* Patient with known allergies to one of the product components (e.g. latex)
* During the first MRI, volunteers showing prior signs of lower back pain or discopathy will be excluded.

Where this trial is running

Saint-Etienne

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Low Back PainHealthy VolunteerLumbar beltback insertconfort
Last reviewed 2026-06-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.