Sciatic nerve stiffness during two lower-limb neurodynamic movement sequences measured with shear wave elastography.
Sciatic Nerve Stiffness Using Two-Sequences of Lower Limb Neurodynamic Testing: A Shear Wave Elastography Study
This tests whether two different sequences of the lower-limb neurodynamic test change sciatic nerve stiffness measured by shear wave elastography in adults with sciatica compared with people without symptoms.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | 60 (estimated) |
| Ages | 25 Years to 40 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Cairo University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Giza) |
| Trial ID | NCT07136441 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This observational study will use shear wave elastography (SWE) while performing two sequences of the lower limb neurodynamic test (proximal-to-distal and distal-to-proximal) to measure sciatic nerve stiffness. Thirty adults aged 25–40 with low back pain and unilateral leg pain (sciatica) and thirty asymptomatic controls will undergo SWE measurements during each LLNT sequence. The study will compare within-participant changes in shear-wave velocity between sequences and between the sciatica and control groups. Results aim to clarify how neurodynamic sequencing redistributes neural load and whether sequence-dependent stiffness differences can improve localization of sciatic nerve pathology.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults 25–40 years old with low back pain and unilateral leg pain for 3–12 months, MRI-confirmed L4–5 disc herniation, and a positive straight leg raise are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People with diabetes, polyneuropathy, prior lumbar surgery, piriformis syndrome, hip prosthesis, very thick gluteal subcutaneous fat, professional athletes, or other conditions that reduce ultrasound image quality are unlikely to benefit or may be excluded.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help clinicians target neural stress during testing and improve detection of localized sciatic nerve problems.
How similar studies have performed: Shear wave elastography has been used to measure peripheral nerve stiffness in prior studies, but using SWE during different LLNT movement sequences to examine sequence-dependent stiffness is relatively novel.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Thirty participants ranging in age from 25 to 40 years from both genders with a diagnosis of low back pain with radiating leg pain and thirty control group. * The main symptoms are low back pain with unilateral leg pain(sciatica) for 3-12 months for group A. * Patients with lumbar disc herniation (L4-5) with diagnostic imaging as MRI for group A. * Positive straight leg raising are considered for inclusion in the study for group A. * Control group must be free from any symptoms of nerve irritation or compression, with normal neurological examination findings, including reflexes, sensation, negative straight leg raising and motor strength. Exclusion Criteria: * Diabetes mellitus. * Any type of polyneuropathy * Trauma of lumbar spine * Previous history of back surgery * Piriformis syndrome. * Participants with conditions that reduce image quality on US imaging (thick gluteal subcutaneous fat tissue. * Hip joint prosthesis. * Professional athletes (Neto et al., 2024). * Skin infection
Where this trial is running
Giza
- Cairo University — Giza, Egypt (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Manar Fawzy Mohammed Hussein, M.Sc
- Email: manar.fawzy@the.suezuni.edu.eg
- Phone: +20 120 140 8924
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.