Finnish Venous Ulcer Study (FINNULCER Study)

NCT ID: NCT04737941

Last Updated: 2025-01-15

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

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

248 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2021-02-26

Study Completion Date

2026-03-01

Brief Summary

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

This multicenter randomized controlled trial evaluates the effect of first-visit foam sclerotherapy (including sub-ulcer foam sclerotherapy) in patients with venous leg ulcer.

Detailed Description

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

To evaluate the effect of first-visit foam sclerotherapy, patients with venous leg ulcers are randomly assigned to either the first-visit foam sclerotherapy group or the scheduled treatment group. The scheduled treatment group represents the current standard of care. The primary outcome of this study is the time to ulcer healing.

In addition to the first-visit treatment in the study group, both groups receive endothermal ablation and/or foam sclerotherapy to (further) treat ulcer-related insufficient veins and truncal insufficiency in scheduled treatment visit(s).

Class 2 thigh-high compression or the best possible compression therapy tolerated by the patient is provided in both groups. The follow-up period for the primary outcome is one year.

For this study, based on Oulu University Hospital's retrospective data (partly published in Pihlaja et al 2020) of venous ulcer healing the investigators assumed Hazard Ratio 1.5 for venous ulcer to heal in first-visit foam sclerotherapy group compared to scheduled treatment group.

Assuming drop-out of 10% this study recruits total of 248 patients (a=0.05, b=0.2).

Conditions

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

Venous Leg Ulcer

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.

First-visit foam sclerotherapy

Patients in the first-visit foam sclerotherapy group undergo first-visit foam sclerotherapy (including sub-ulcer foam sclerotherapy), and truncal vein endothermal ablation is scheduled when the anatomy is suitable. Compression therapy is initiated immediately.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Endothermal Ablation

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Endothermal ablation is performed to suitable insufficient truncal veins (Great-, Anterior Accessory- and/or Small Saphenous Vein)

Foam Sclerotherapy

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Foam sclerotherapy is performed to insufficient veins distal to the truncal superficial veins.

Scheduled treatment

Patients in the scheduled treatment group receive scheduled endovenous ablation, including foam sclerotherapy and/or endothermal ablation, depending on reflux anatomy. This group represents the current standard of care. Compression therapy is initiated immediately.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Endothermal Ablation

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Endothermal ablation is performed to suitable insufficient truncal veins (Great-, Anterior Accessory- and/or Small Saphenous Vein)

Foam Sclerotherapy

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Foam sclerotherapy is performed to insufficient veins distal to the truncal superficial veins.

Interventions

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

Endothermal Ablation

Endothermal ablation is performed to suitable insufficient truncal veins (Great-, Anterior Accessory- and/or Small Saphenous Vein)

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Foam Sclerotherapy

Foam sclerotherapy is performed to insufficient veins distal to the truncal superficial veins.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

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

Inclusion Criteria

* Patient informed consent
* Venous ulcer, aged from one month to one year
* Duplex ultrasonography verified (vein reflux greater than \>0.5 second) superficial venous insufficiency
* Sufficient arterial circulation (at least on criterion met: Palpable distal pulses / ankle-brachial index \> 0,8 / Toe pressure \>60mmhg)

Exclusion Criteria

* Leg ulcers other than venous etiology
* Ulcers requiring operation theater revision
* Patent foramen ovale
* Several times recurrent (over 3 recurrences) venous ulcer
* Body Mass Index over 40
* Pregnancy
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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

Helsinki University Central Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Oulu University Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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

Toni Pihlaja

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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

Toni Pihlaja, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Oulu University Hospital

Karoliina Halmesmaki, Docent

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Helsinki University Central Hospital

Maarit Venermo, Professor

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Helsinki University Central Hospital

Matti Pokela, Docent

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Oulu University Hospital

Locations

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

Helsinki University Central Hospital

Helsinki, , Finland

Site Status RECRUITING

Keski-Suomen keskussairaala

Jyväskylä, , Finland

Site Status RECRUITING

Oulu University Hospital

Oulu, , Finland

Site Status RECRUITING

Turku University Hospital

Turku, , Finland

Site Status RECRUITING

Vaasa Central Hospital

Vaasa, , Finland

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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

Finland

Central Contacts

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

Matti Pokela, Docent

Role: CONTACT

083152011 ext. +315

Facility Contacts

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

Karoliina Halmesmaki, Docent

Role: primary

Tiia Kukkonen

Role: primary

Matti Pokela, Docent

Role: primary

Harri Hakovirta, Professor

Role: primary

Vesa Rajala, MD

Role: primary

References

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

Pihlaja T, Torro P, Ohtonen P, Romsi P, Pokela M. Ten years of experience with first-visit foam sclerotherapy to initiate venous ulcer healing. J Vasc Surg Venous Lymphat Disord. 2021 Jul;9(4):954-960. doi: 10.1016/j.jvsv.2020.11.012. Epub 2020 Nov 25.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33248300 (View on PubMed)

Pihlaja T, Ohtonen P, Hakovirta H, Viljamaa J, Kukkonen T, Venermo M, Halmesmaki K, Pokela M. Trial protocol for evaluating sub-ulcer foam sclerotherapy as an adjunct to conventional endovenous treatment in patients with venous leg ulcers: The FINNULCER multicenter randomized controlled trial. Phlebology. 2025 Apr 17:2683555251335618. doi: 10.1177/02683555251335618. Online ahead of print.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 40243046 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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

3/2021

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

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