Vertebral MetastasisSPARTANCT05467540
Spinery® A Novel Radio-Frequency Tumor Ablation Device for Spine Metastatic Tumors
A study testing Spinery System in people with Vertebral Metastasis, run by Axon srl at 5 sites in Italy.
Trial summary
The SPARTA study (Spinery® Radiofrequency Ablation Device Study) is a prospective, multicenter, single-arm clinical investigation designed to evaluate the safety, performance, and efficacy of the Spinery® RF Generator and its sterile single-use accessories for the palliative treatment of painful bone metastases. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Vertebral Metastasis
- What is being tested?
- Spinery System
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 52 participants
- Where
- 5 sitesItaly
- Study dates
- 11 Jul 2022to 30 Nov 2024
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Patients with painful metastatic malignant lesions involving bone;
- Patients, candidates to standard therapy, in which the RF ablation can be performed in combination with the Standard Therapy in accordance with the Investigator's indications;
- Patients who have failed, not candidates or refuse Standard Therapy (chemotherapy or radiotherapy);
- Patients with metastatic tumor size compatible with the expected ablation dimensions as reported for SPINERY devices in the IFU;
- Patients with localized pain resulting from not more than two sites of symptomatic metastatic disease
- Patients that do not have evidence of impending fracture
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- Patients with metastatic lesions targeted for treatment located in the thoracic and/or lumbar vertebral body(ies), peri-acetabulum, iliac crest, and/or sacrum - no restrictions on location of lesion;
- Patients with BPI-Report worst pain score ≥4/10 at the target treatment site within the past 24 hours
- Patients with Karnofsky score ≥ 40 at enrollment
- Patients willing and able to provide a signed and dated informed consent, comply with the study plan, follow up visits and phone calls
- Patients at least 18 years old at the time of informed consent
Who cannot join
- Patients implanted with heart pacemaker or other implanted electronic device
- Patients with previous mechanical bone stabilization in the vertebral body to be treated
- Use of SPINERY in vertebral body levels C1-C7
- Multiple myeloma, solitary plasmacytoma, or primary malignant lesions in the index vertebra or bone.
- Active or incompletely treated local infection at the planned treatment site(s) and/or systemic infection.
- Planned treatment site(s) accompanied by objective evidence of secondary radiculopathy or neurologic compromise.
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- Planned treatment site(s) associated with spinal cord compression or canal compromise requiring decompression.
- Fractures due to prostatic cancer or other osteoblastic metastases to the spine. Metastatic lesions originating in the prostate that are osteolytic or of mixed origin are eligible for the study.
- Pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant during the study duration.
- Concurrent participation in another clinical study that may add additional safety risks and/or confound study results.
- Any condition that would interfere with the subject's ability to comply with study instructions or might confound the study interpretation.
Trial locations and contacts
5 sites in 1 country.
5 sites in 1 country
Italy5 sites
Ospedale Santissima Trinità
Cagliari
Istituto Oncologico del Mediterraneo IOM
Catania
Azienda Ospedaliera di Cosenza
Cosenza
Azienda Ospedaliera Antonio Cardarelli
Naples
Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese
Siena
About this study
Official title: Clinical Study of Spinery® A Novel Radio-Frequency Tumor Ablation Device for Spine Metastatic Tumors
The SPARTA study (Spinery® Radiofrequency Ablation Device Study) is a prospective, multicenter, single-arm clinical investigation designed to evaluate the safety, performance, and efficacy of the Spinery® RF Generator and its sterile single-use accessories for the palliative treatment of painful bone metastases.
Adult patients with metastatic lesions involving the vertebral bodies, sacrum, iliac crest, or peri-acetabulum who were not candidates for, or had failed, standard therapies underwent percutaneous radiofrequency ablation with the investigational device.
Read more
A total of 52 participants were enrolled across five Italian centers and were assessed at baseline, post-procedure, and during follow-up visits at 1, 3, and 12 months.
Endpoints include evaluation of pain reduction, quality of life, usability, and procedural safety.
Read the detailed description
Bone metastases are a frequent cause of pain and disability in patients with advanced cancer, often leading to impaired mobility and reduced quality of life. Conventional treatments such as systemic analgesics, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy may not always achieve adequate symptom control, particularly in patients with recurrent or resistant disease.
Radiofrequency (RF) ablation has emerged as a minimally invasive, image-guided procedure that induces controlled thermal necrosis within metastatic lesions, potentially reducing pain by interrupting nociceptive pathways and stabilizing the affected bone.
The SPARTA study was designed to collect clinical data on the Spinery® RF Generator and its sterile single-use accessories, a bipolar/monopolar RF ablation technology intended for percutaneous use in bone metastases.
This clinical investigation follows a prospective, multicenter, single-arm design without a control group; data are compared with published evidence available in the literature to contextualize safety and performance outcomes.
A total of 52 patients were enrolled across five Italian centers. Eligible participants were adults with painful metastatic bone tumors located in the thoracic or lumbar vertebrae, sacrum, iliac crest, or peri-acetabulum.
Following informed consent and baseline assessments, each patient underwent image-guided RF ablation using the Spinery® device. The procedure allowed the treating physician to select monopolar or bipolar cooled electrodes according to lesion size and location.
Participants were monitored within 24 hours post-procedure and followed at 1, 3, and 12 months after treatment.
Study assessments include:
- Pain evaluation using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)
- Quality of life assessment using the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire
- Functional performance using the Karnofsky Performance Scale
- Documentation of concomitant analgesic use and adverse events
The primary objectives are:
- To evaluate short-term pain reduction at 3 months following treatment, as measured by changes in the BPI "worst pain" score.
- To evaluate procedural safety, defined as the percentage of procedures completed without device-related adverse events, including nerve injury.
The secondary objectives are:
- To assess long-term pain reduction at 12 months.
- To evaluate usability and procedural performance (technical and procedural success without product-specialist intervention).
- To monitor quality-of-life and functional outcomes over the follow-up period.
This clinical investigation is conducted in compliance with ethical principles of Good Clinical Practice and applicable regulatory requirements.
- Conditions
- Vertebral Metastasis
- Being tested
- Spinery System
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Spinery SystemDevice
Also called Spinery® RF Generator, the sterile single-use Spinery® Kit, and the sterile single-use Spinery® Cooling Connection
Radiofrequency ablation of bone metastases performed with the Spinery System, a radiofrequency generator with dedicated sterile, single-use accessories (electrode kit and cooling connection).
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Spinery® RF Ablation System Arm | Experimental | Participants in this single-arm study underwent percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of painful bone metastases using the Spinery System, consisting of the Spinery® RF Generator, the sterile single-use Spinery® Kit, and the sterile single-use Spinery® Cooling Connection. The procedure was performed according to the study protocol, with follow-up visits scheduled at 1, 3, and 12 months to assess pain reduction, safety, usability, and quality of life. Receives: Device: Spinery System |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change From Baseline in Worst Pain and Quality of Life Scores at 3 Months Using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and EQ-5D-5L Questionnaires
Pain severity and health-related quality of life were evaluated using two validated questionnaires:
- Brief Pain Inventory (BPI): Participants rated their worst pain in the last 24 hours for each treated lesion site (thoracic, lumbar, peri-acetabulum, iliac crest, sacrum) on an 11-point numeric scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (pain as bad as you can imagine).
Higher scores indicate worse pain. The change in BPI Worst Pain Score was calculated as the average reduction from baseline to the 3-month visit.
- EQ-5D-5L: Participants reported their overall health status across five dimensions (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression), each rated on five levels of severity.
Responses were converted into a utility index ranging from -0.594 (worst health state) to 1.000 (best health state), where higher scores indicate better quality of life.
The EQ-5D-5L visual analogue scale (VAS) ranges from 0 (worst imaginable health) to 100 (best imaginable health).
Measured: Baseline and 3-month follow-up
Number and Percentage of Participants Who Successfully Completed the Spinery® RF Ablation Procedure
The number and percentage of participants who successfully completed the Spinery® RF ablation procedure per protocol.
Completion is defined as participants who underwent the full planned treatment without premature discontinuation or technical interruption.
Results are expressed as the count and percentage of the total number of treated participants.
Measured: Post-Procedure (primary evaluation point)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted20 Jul 2022
- Study start11 Jul 2022
- Primary completion15 Feb 2024
- Study completion30 Nov 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Other trials for Vertebral MetastasisStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Model description
- Prospective, Multicenter, no control group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 52 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Axon srl
- Sponsor type
- Industry (pharma, biotech, devices)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Mario Muto, Prof, MD, Study director, Azienda Ospedaliera Antonio Cardarelli, Naples, ItalyStefano Marini, MD, Principal investigator, Ospedale Santissima Trinità, Cagliari, ItalyFrancesco Amato, MD, Principal investigator, Azienda Ospedaliera di Cosenza, Cosenza, ItalyLuigi Manfrè, MD, Principal investigator, Istituto Oncologico del Mediterraneo, Catania, ItalyMatteo Bellini, MD, Principal investigator, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, Siena, Italy
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05467540
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Protocol #2020-01
- Acronym
- SPARTA
- Status last verified
- Nov 2025
- First submitted
- 13 Jul 2022
- Last updated
- 28 Nov 2025
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 28 Nov 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Clinical Study of Spinery® A Novel Radio-Frequency Tumor Ablation Device for Spine Metastatic Tumors
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05467540
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- SPARTA / Protocol #2020-01
- Conditions
- Vertebral Metastasis
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 52 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Axon srlIndustry (pharma, biotech, devices)
- Study start
- 11 Jul 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 15 Feb 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Nov 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 20 Jul 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 28 Nov 2025
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The SPARTA study (Spinery® Radiofrequency Ablation Device Study) is a prospective, multicenter, single-arm clinical investigation designed to evaluate the safety, performance, and efficacy of the Spinery® RF Generator and its sterile single-use accessories for the palliative treatment of painful bone metastases.
Adult patients with metastatic lesions involving the vertebral bodies, sacrum, iliac crest, or peri-acetabulum who were not candidates for, or had failed, standard therapies underwent percutaneous radiofrequency ablation with the investigational device.
A total of 52 participants were enrolled across five Italian centers and were assessed at baseline, post-procedure, and during follow-up visits at 1, 3, and 12 months.
Endpoints include evaluation of pain reduction, quality of life, usability, and procedural safety.
Detailed description
Bone metastases are a frequent cause of pain and disability in patients with advanced cancer, often leading to impaired mobility and reduced quality of life. Conventional treatments such as systemic analgesics, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy may not always achieve adequate symptom control, particularly in patients with recurrent or resistant disease.
Radiofrequency (RF) ablation has emerged as a minimally invasive, image-guided procedure that induces controlled thermal necrosis within metastatic lesions, potentially reducing pain by interrupting nociceptive pathways and stabilizing the affected bone.
The SPARTA study was designed to collect clinical data on the Spinery® RF Generator and its sterile single-use accessories, a bipolar/monopolar RF ablation technology intended for percutaneous use in bone metastases.
This clinical investigation follows a prospective, multicenter, single-arm design without a control group; data are compared with published evidence available in the literature to contextualize safety and performance outcomes.
A total of 52 patients were enrolled across five Italian centers. Eligible participants were adults with painful metastatic bone tumors located in the thoracic or lumbar vertebrae, sacrum, iliac crest, or peri-acetabulum.
Following informed consent and baseline assessments, each patient underwent image-guided RF ablation using the Spinery® device. The procedure allowed the treating physician to select monopolar or bipolar cooled electrodes according to lesion size and location.
Participants were monitored within 24 hours post-procedure and followed at 1, 3, and 12 months after treatment.
Study assessments include:
- Pain evaluation using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)
- Quality of life assessment using the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire
- Functional performance using the Karnofsky Performance Scale
- Documentation of concomitant analgesic use and adverse events
The primary objectives are:
- To evaluate short-term pain reduction at 3 months following treatment, as measured by changes in the BPI "worst pain" score.
- To evaluate procedural safety, defined as the percentage of procedures completed without device-related adverse events, including nerve injury.
The secondary objectives are:
- To assess long-term pain reduction at 12 months.
- To evaluate usability and procedural performance (technical and procedural success without product-specialist intervention).
- To monitor quality-of-life and functional outcomes over the follow-up period.
This clinical investigation is conducted in compliance with ethical principles of Good Clinical Practice and applicable regulatory requirements.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
- Model description
- Prospective, Multicenter, no control group
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Spinery® RF Ablation System Arm | Experimental | Device: Spinery SystemParticipants in this single-arm study underwent percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of painful bone metastases using the Spinery System, consisting of the Spinery® RF Generator, the sterile single-use Spinery® Kit, and the sterile single-use Spinery® Cooling Connection. The procedure was performed according to the study protocol, with follow-up visits scheduled at 1, 3, and 12 months to assess pain reduction, safety, usability, and quality of life. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (11 listed)
- Patients with painful metastatic malignant lesions involving bone;
- Patients, candidates to standard therapy, in which the RF ablation can be performed in combination with the Standard Therapy in accordance with the Investigator's indications;
- Patients who have failed, not candidates or refuse Standard Therapy (chemotherapy or radiotherapy);
- Patients with metastatic tumor size compatible with the expected ablation dimensions as reported for SPINERY devices in the IFU;
- Patients with localized pain resulting from not more than two sites of symptomatic metastatic disease
Key exclusion criteria (11 listed)
- Patients implanted with heart pacemaker or other implanted electronic device
- Patients with previous mechanical bone stabilization in the vertebral body to be treated
- Use of SPINERY in vertebral body levels C1-C7
- Multiple myeloma, solitary plasmacytoma, or primary malignant lesions in the index vertebra or bone.
- Active or incompletely treated local infection at the planned treatment site(s) and/or systemic infection.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Spinery SystemAlso: Spinery® RF Generator, the sterile single-use Spinery® Kit, and the sterile single-use Spinery® Cooling ConnectionRadiofrequency ablation of bone metastases performed with the Spinery System, a radiofrequency generator with dedicated sterile, single-use accessories (electrode kit and cooling connection). | Device | Spinery® RF Ablation System Arm |
Primary outcome
Change From Baseline in Worst Pain and Quality of Life Scores at 3 Months Using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and EQ-5D-5L Questionnaires
Time frame: Baseline and 3-month follow-up
Pain severity and health-related quality of life were evaluated using two validated questionnaires: * Brief Pain Inventory (BPI): Participants rated their worst pain in the last 24 hours for each treated lesion site (thoracic, lumbar, peri-acetabulum, iliac crest, sacrum) on an 11-point numeric scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (pain as bad as you can imagine). Higher scores indicate worse pain. The change in BPI Worst Pain Score was calculated as the average reduction from baseline to the 3-month visit. * EQ-5D-5L: Participants reported their overall health status across five dimensions (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression), each rated on five levels of severity. Responses were converted into a utility index ranging from -0.594 (worst health state) to 1.000 (best health state), where higher scores indicate better quality of life. The EQ-5D-5L visual analogue scale (VAS) ranges from 0 (worst imaginable health) to 100 (best imaginable health).
Number and Percentage of Participants Who Successfully Completed the Spinery® RF Ablation Procedure
Time frame: Post-Procedure (primary evaluation point)
The number and percentage of participants who successfully completed the Spinery® RF ablation procedure per protocol. Completion is defined as participants who underwent the full planned treatment without premature discontinuation or technical interruption. Results are expressed as the count and percentage of the total number of treated participants.
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 28 Nov 2025.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Mario Muto, Prof, MD study director
Azienda Ospedaliera Antonio Cardarelli, Naples, Italy
Stefano Marini, MD principal investigator
Ospedale Santissima Trinità, Cagliari, Italy
Francesco Amato, MD principal investigator
Azienda Ospedaliera di Cosenza, Cosenza, Italy
5 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Spinery System in people with Vertebral Metastasis, run by Axon srl at 5 sites in Italy.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 11 inclusion and 11 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Nov 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 5 sites in Italy. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 28 Nov 2025). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change From Baseline in Worst Pain and Quality of Life Scores at 3 Months Using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and EQ-5D-5L Questionnaires (time frame: Baseline and 3-month follow-up). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 28 Nov 2025.