Comparison of Two Botox Injection Techniques to Improve Gait

Summary

According to our hypothesis, the use of HD-EMG shall allow an accurate localization of the innervations zones of the muscles, offering a better complement to the methodology applied so far to define the botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) injection site. To achieve that goal, a randomized clinical trial comparing the effectiveness of two guiding methods to define the BoNT injection site in the gastrocnemius muscles will be conducted. One arm will be guided with ultrasonography + localized IZ using anatomical references; while the second arm with ultrasonography + in vivo location of the IZ through HD-EMG. The effectiveness will be evaluated by changes in functional tests and in biomechanical parameters of the gait assessed with a three-dimensional motion analysis system. These outcomes will be measured at baseline (T0), at three (T3w) and six weeks (T6w), post BoNT injection. The differences between sessions will be evaluated as measurements of effectiveness. We expect that greater effectiveness will be found in the group that receives the injection of BoNT, guided by the in vivo location of the IZ.

Conditions

• Muscle Spasticity
• Stroke Sequelae
• Spasticity as Sequela of Stroke
• Gait Disorders, Neurologic

Interventions

COMBINATION_PRODUCT

Botulinum toxin guided by ultrasonography and anatomical references

The botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) will be calculated according to the weight of each patient. It will be injected in four places: two of them into the medial gastrocnemius and the other two into the lateral gastrocnemius. For medial gastrocnemius muscle, ¼ of the dose will be injected into the muscle belly at the 25% of the distance between the popliteal fossa and the intermalleolar line. Another ¼ will be injected into the muscle belly at the 35% of the previously mentioned distance. For lateral gastrocnemius, ¼ of the dose will be injected into the muscle belly at the 20% of the distance between the popliteal fossa and the intermalleolar line. The remaining ¼ of the dose will be injected into the muscle belly at the 30% of the previously described distance. All patients will conduct the same physical therapy program and under the direction of the same team of physical therapists. This program will begin two weeks after receiving the BoNT injection.

COMBINATION_PRODUCT

Botulinum neurotoxin guided by ultrasonography and in vivo location of innervation zones guided by high-density electromyography

The botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) will be calculated according to the weight of each patient. It will be injected in eight places: four will be located in vivo for gastrocnemius medialis and four for gastrocnemius lateralis. These places will correspond to innervation zones located by high-density electromyography in different zones of each muscle. Thus, each of the eight located innervation zones will receive 1/8 of the calculated dose for the gastrocnemius muscle. All patients will conduct the same physical therapy program and under the direction of the same team of physical therapists. This program will begin two weeks after receiving the BoNT injection.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico, Chile

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Pedro Aguirre Cerda

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Universidad de los Andes, Chile

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Rodrigo A Guzmán-Venegas, PhD · Universidad de los Andes, Chile

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-07-01

Primary Completion

2022-11-29

Completion

2022-12-04

Countries

• Chile

Study Locations