Partial Blocks of Rectus Femoris and Soleus With Botulinum Toxin Type A (Xeomin®) to Improve Gait in Hemiparesis

Summary

The most common motor deficiency after stroke or traumatic brain injury is hemiparesis. Most hemiparetic patients recover walking, but rarely with a speed permitting easy ambulation outdoors with family or friends. One of the mechanisms of gait impairment in hemiparesis is insufficient active hip flexion during swing phase, which leads to insufficient ground clearing at swing phase, with associated gait slowness and risks of fall.

The main hypothesis behind the present study is that insufficient hip flexion during hemiparetic gait is partly due to overactivity of rectus femoris. Focal treatment of lower limb muscle overactivity using botulinum toxin has not been demonstrated to increase walking speed in hemiparesis as yet. However, most studies have focused distally, on improving foot dorsiflexion only. The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of botulinum toxin injection and placebo in rectus femoris (RF) + plantar flexors versus plantar flexors only.

Conditions

• Hemiparesis After Stroke
• Traumatic Brain Injury

Interventions

DRUG

Placebo injection

Placebo in soleus and placebo in rectus femoris, and placebo in additional muscles as per investigator's choice among tibialis posterior, toe flexors (long or short), gastrocnemius muscles or peroneus longus. 150U (x 7.5 ml) placebo Sol + 150U (x 7.5 ml) placebo RF + 100U (5ml) placebo distributed between tibialis posterior, FHL (flexor hallucis longus), FCB (flexor digitorum brevis), gastrocnemius muscles or peroneus longus, based upon investigator clinical judgment

DRUG

Botulinum toxin injection

Botulinum toxin type A in soleus and in rectus femoris, and Botulinum toxin type A in additional muscles as per investigator's choice among tibialis posterior, toe flexors (long or short), gastrocnemius muscles or peroneus longus. 150U (x 7.5 ml) Xeomin® 20U/ml Sol + 150U (x 7.5 ml) Xeomin® 20U/ml RF + 100U (5ml) Xeomin® distributed between tibialis posterior, FHL (flexor hallucis longus), FCB (flexor digitorum brevis), gastrocnemius muscles or peroneus longus, based upon investigator clinical judgment.

DRUG

Placebo injection and botulinum toxin injection

Botulinum toxin type A in soleus and placebo in rectus femoris, and Botulinum toxin type A in additional muscles as per investigator's choice among tibialis posterior, toe flexors (long or short), gastrocnemius muscles or peroneus longus.. 150U (x 7.5 ml) Xeomin® 20U/ml Sol + 150U (x 7.5 ml) placebo RF + 100U (5ml) Xeomin® distributed between tibialis posterior, FHL (flexor hallucis longus), FCB (flexor digitorum brevis), gastrocnemius muscles or peroneus longus, based upon investigator clinical judgment.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Merz Pharmaceuticals GmbH

  collaborator INDUSTRY

• Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Jean-Michel GRACIES, MD, PhD · Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2014-12-31

Primary Completion

2017-11-30

Completion

2018-12-31

Countries

• France

Study Locations