Early Weightbearing Versus Non-weightbearing After Operative Treatment of an Ankle Fracture

NCT ID: NCT02029170

Last Updated: 2015-10-09

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

UNKNOWN

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

192 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2014-01-31

Study Completion Date

2017-01-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Unstable ankle fractures are commonly treated operatively. After operative reduction and fixation of the fractures, there are varying rehabilitation regimes that include non-weightbearing for 6 weeks with active range of motion exercise in a removal cast or brace, or early protected weightbearing in a rigid cast. Several papers reported that early weightbearing may decrease ankle stiffness, muscle and bone atrophy, and aids in early return to activities. However, early weightbearing may have the risk of displacement of the fixed fractures. Rehabilitation after operative treatment of an ankle fracture is still not clear. We hypothesized that the ankle function assessed on 12 months after operation of an ankle fracture with early weightbearing is not inferior to non-weightbearing but is superior to non-weightbearing with respect to time to return to normal daily life and time to full weightbearing.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

This study is a noninferiority, randomized controlled trial of patients presenting to multiple centers.

The primary outcome measure is the Olerud-Molander scores assess on 12 months after operation of an unstable ankle fracture. The Olerud-Molander scores were compared between the experimental group (early weightbearing) and the control group (non-weightbearing) on 12 month follow-up examination.

The Olerud-Molander score is a most widely used validated scale to assess ankle function after an ankle fracture. It is a self-administered patient questionnaire with a score of zero (totally impaired) to 100 (completely unimpaired) and is based on nine different items: pain, stiffness, swelling, stair climbing, running, jumping, squatting, supports and work/activities of daily living.

The secondary objectives are to determine whether early weightbearing is superior to non-weightbearing with respect to time until return to normal daily life and time to full weightbearing.

Other objectives are to determine safety by assessing number of participants with adverse effect such as hardware failure, reduction loss, non-union, or delayed union in each group.

The sample size was determined using methods appropriate for noninferiority trials, assuming 90% power and a significance level of 0.05. To find out whether the early weightbearing is not inferior to nonweightbearing after operation of an ankle fracture, 192 patients were required to have 90% power that the lower limit of an one-sided 95% confidence interval for the difference between two treatments will be above the noninferiority margin of -8, adding 20% of assumed drop-out.

Determination of the noninferiority margin was based on clinical significance. In a previous study between early weightbearing versus nonweightbearing after an ankle fracture surgery, Simanski et al. reported that both groups showed good results in the Olerud-Molander score (87 vs. 79 points; p=0.25). In both groups, the majority of patients reached their preinjury level of activity. The difference in the Olerud-Molander score between the two groups was 8 points in favor of early weightbearing. Their study came from populations similar to our trial population and from interventions similar to those being studied in the current trial. We decided that the noninferiority margin at 8 points difference will be adequate to prove noninferiority of the experiment group (early weightbearing) over the control group (nonweightbearing).

If a subject had discontinued prior to completion of 12 months, the last observation is carried forward for the intent-to-treat analysis. Subjects who crossed over to the other treatment arm, for an example, patients in non-weightbearing group who weightbear early, are analyzed according to their initial group allocation for the intent-to-treat analysis. Additionally, an as-treated (per-protocal) analysis was also conducted on patients who completed the 12 months follow-up with the protocol assigned.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Ankle Fracture Rehabilitation

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Early weightbearing

After operative reduction and fixation of the fractures, patients allocated to the early weightbearing group start weightbearing after stitch out at 2 weeks and the application of a walking cast.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Early weightbearing

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Patients allocated to early weightbearing group are allowed to weightbear after stitch out and application of a walking cast

Non-weightbearing

Patients allocated to non-weightbearing group are kept non-weightbearing till 6 weeks post-operative

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Non-weightbearing

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Patients allocated to non-weightbearing group are kept non-weightbearing till 6 weeks post-operative

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Early weightbearing

Patients allocated to early weightbearing group are allowed to weightbear after stitch out and application of a walking cast

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Non-weightbearing

Patients allocated to non-weightbearing group are kept non-weightbearing till 6 weeks post-operative

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* unstable ankle fracture requiring open reduction and internal fixation
* age between 18 and 65 years
* satisfactory reduction and stable fixation after operation.

Exclusion Criteria

* open fractures
* comminuted fractures
* pathologic fractures
* Pilon fractures
* Trimalleolar fractures
* fracture dislocations
* Fractures requiring syndesmotic screw fixation
* Fractures with cartilage injuries or unstable fixation or any other conditions preventing from early weightbearing.
* Patients with diabetes or neuroarthropathy
* Patients with obesity (BMI \>30, weight \>100 kg)
* Any other conditions that are expected to prevent the patients from following the study protocol
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Hallym University Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Hyong Nyun Kim

professor, MD, PhD

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Hyong Nyun Kim, MD, PhD

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine

Hyong Nyun Kim, MD, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine

Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

Site Status RECRUITING

Sanbon Hospital, Wonkwang University College of Medicine

Gunpo, Gyeongi, South Korea

Site Status RECRUITING

CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University

Seongnam, Gyeongi, South Korea

Site Status RECRUITING

Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine

Seoul, , South Korea

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

South Korea

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Hyong Nyun Kim, MD, PhD

Role: CONTACT

+82-10-6377-8201

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Jae Yong Park, MD

Role: primary

+82-31-380-1500

Yu Mi Kim, MD, PhD

Role: primary

+82-31-390-2224

Young Rak Choi, MD

Role: primary

+82-31-780-5289

Hyong Nyun Kim, MD, PhD

Role: primary

+82-10-6377-8201

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Ahl T, Dalen N, Holmberg S, Selvik G. Early weight bearing of displaced ankle fractures. Acta Orthop Scand. 1987 Oct;58(5):535-8. doi: 10.3109/17453678709146394.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 3425284 (View on PubMed)

Aktas S, Kocaoglu B, Gereli A, Nalbantodlu U, Guven O. Incidence of chondral lesions of talar dome in ankle fracture types. Foot Ankle Int. 2008 Mar;29(3):287-92. doi: 10.3113/FAI.2008.0287.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 18348824 (View on PubMed)

Bostman OM. Body-weight related to loss of reduction of fractures of the distal tibia and ankle. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1995 Jan;77(1):101-3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 7822361 (View on PubMed)

Burwell HN, Charnley AD. The treatment of displaced fractures at the ankle by rigid internal fixation and early joint movement. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1965 Nov;47(4):634-60. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 5846764 (View on PubMed)

Dogra AS, Rangan A. Early mobilisation versus immobilisation of surgically treated ankle fractures. Prospective randomised control trial. Injury. 1999 Aug;30(6):417-9. doi: 10.1016/s0020-1383(99)00110-2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 10645355 (View on PubMed)

Finsen V, Saetermo R, Kibsgaard L, Farran K, Engebretsen L, Bolz KD, Benum P. Early postoperative weight-bearing and muscle activity in patients who have a fracture of the ankle. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1989 Jan;71(1):23-7.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 2492286 (View on PubMed)

Ganesh SP, Pietrobon R, Cecilio WA, Pan D, Lightdale N, Nunley JA. The impact of diabetes on patient outcomes after ankle fracture. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2005 Aug;87(8):1712-8. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.D.02625.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16085609 (View on PubMed)

Lehtonen H, Jarvinen TL, Honkonen S, Nyman M, Vihtonen K, Jarvinen M. Use of a cast compared with a functional ankle brace after operative treatment of an ankle fracture. A prospective, randomized study. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2003 Feb;85(2):205-11. doi: 10.2106/00004623-200302000-00004.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12571295 (View on PubMed)

Mak KH, Chan KM, Leung PC. Ankle fracture treated with the AO principle--an experience with 116 cases. Injury. 1985 Jan;16(4):265-72. doi: 10.1016/s0020-1383(85)80017-6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 3967916 (View on PubMed)

Olerud C, Molander H. A scoring scale for symptom evaluation after ankle fracture. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg (1978). 1984;103(3):190-4. doi: 10.1007/BF00435553.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 6437370 (View on PubMed)

Pagliaro AJ, Michelson JD, Mizel MS. Results of operative fixation of unstable ankle fractures in geriatric patients. Foot Ankle Int. 2001 May;22(5):399-402. doi: 10.1177/107110070102200507.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11428758 (View on PubMed)

Simanski CJ, Maegele MG, Lefering R, Lehnen DM, Kawel N, Riess P, Yucel N, Tiling T, Bouillon B. Functional treatment and early weightbearing after an ankle fracture: a prospective study. J Orthop Trauma. 2006 Feb;20(2):108-14. doi: 10.1097/01.bot.0000197701.96954.8c.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16462563 (View on PubMed)

Starkweather MP, Collman DR, Schuberth JM. Early protected weightbearing after open reduction internal fixation of ankle fractures. J Foot Ankle Surg. 2012 Sep-Oct;51(5):575-8. doi: 10.1053/j.jfas.2012.05.022. Epub 2012 Jul 20.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22819002 (View on PubMed)

Strauss EJ, Frank JB, Walsh M, Koval KJ, Egol KA. Does obesity influence the outcome after the operative treatment of ankle fractures? J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2007 Jun;89(6):794-8. doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.89B6.18356.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17613507 (View on PubMed)

Tropp H, Norlin R. Ankle performance after ankle fracture: a randomized study of early mobilization. Foot Ankle Int. 1995 Feb;16(2):79-83. doi: 10.1177/107110079501600205.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 7767451 (View on PubMed)

Tunturi T, Kemppainen K, Patiala H, Suokas M, Tamminen O, Rokkanen P. Importance of anatomical reduction for subjective recovery after ankle fracture. Acta Orthop Scand. 1983 Aug;54(4):641-7. doi: 10.3109/17453678308992903.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 6422695 (View on PubMed)

Park JY, Kim BS, Kim YM, Cho JH, Choi YR, Kim HN. Early Weightbearing Versus Nonweightbearing After Operative Treatment of an Ankle Fracture: A Multicenter, Noninferiority, Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Sports Med. 2021 Aug;49(10):2689-2696. doi: 10.1177/03635465211026960. Epub 2021 Jul 12.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 34251882 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

HUKSHHOS

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Early Weight Bearing in Distal Femur Fractures
NCT06806839 NOT_YET_RECRUITING NA
Bracing After Ankle Fracture
NCT07163091 NOT_YET_RECRUITING NA