Mobile Monitoring of Fracture Healing

NCT ID: NCT02534259

Last Updated: 2019-02-18

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

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Total Enrollment

6 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2015-08-31

Study Completion Date

2018-03-14

Brief Summary

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The objective of this study is to develop methods for using forces measured on circular external fixators to predict the state of individual patient's healing of severe tibial fractures and defects.

Detailed Description

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Patients receiving external fixators for tibial fractures and defects will be recruited. Normal struts on the device will be substituted with similar but instrumented struts which enable force measurement. During clinical visits, forces in the fixator, plus foot forces, will be measured during ambulation. Changes in force measurements across treatment and bone healing will be analyzed.

Severe fractures in the lower limb are associated with high energy trauma in both civilian and military patients,and are sometimes treated with external fixation devices to stabilize the bone until healing has occurred. The devices are kept on the patient for up to a year or more at significant cost, intrusiveness, and risk of infection. The clinician must decide when to remove the device such that adequate healing has occurred and the bone will not re-fracture, but healing rates are variable and x-rays can be misleading. The clinician must also identify when a patient is starting to progress poorly and an early revision surgery is needed to prevent further complications.

The investigators' goal is to develop novel approaches for instrumenting and collecting mechanical data from orthopaedic braces and devices, and identifying new methodologies for interpreting this large volume of functional data for optimizing personalized treatment. The present study is focused on external fixators. Strain gauges will be adhered to the fixators so that fixator forces can be measured during clinical visits. In this pilot study the investigators will develop methods to predict healing based on these measured forces.

Conditions

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Tibial Fractures

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

CASE_ONLY

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Interventions

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Force monitoring of external fixator struts

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. 18 to 80 years of age
2. Patients scheduled to undergo or currently undergoing treatment at Hershey Medical Center for tibia fracture and/or defect using a circular external fixator including Ilizarov and Taylor Spatial Frame types.
3. Ability to perform study procedures including ambulation (with assistance device if needed)

Exclusion Criteria

1. External fixator design that cannot be suitably instrumented for force measurements due to space constraints or other issues
2. Axially stable fracture
3. Inability to understand English
4. Inability to provide informed consent
5. Difficulty maintaining follow-up
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

80 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Gregory S. Lewis

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Gregory Lewis, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Locations

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Penn State Hershey Medical Center

Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

Other Identifiers

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STUDY00002137

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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