Minimally Displaced Femoral Neck Fracture Pilot Study

NCT ID: NCT05947058

Last Updated: 2025-12-17

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

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

40 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-11-01

Study Completion Date

2025-12-31

Brief Summary

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The goal of this randomized pilot study is to assess feasibility of the trial and to collect information to inform the design of a definitive trial. Adult patients ages 60 years or older with a low-energy minimally displaced femoral neck fracture (FNF) treated with surgery will be eligible to participate in the study. Patients will be randomized to one of two treatment groups, hip arthroplasty or internal fixation. Participants will be followed for 1 year.

Detailed Description

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Nearly half of all elderly hip fractures are femoral neck fractures (FNFs) and approximately 20% are minimally displaced. Internal fixation has remained the treatment of choice for these injuries because these fractures can be fixed in situ and the surgical implants can be inserted with little surgical dissection. Patients treated with internal fixation experience high complication rates, with the pooled risk of reoperation and mortality each above 14%. Preliminary data have suggested arthroplasty for minimally displaced fractures may lead to better patient outcomes, including improved ambulation, fewer reoperations, and a lower risk of death compared to internal fixation. While the preliminary data supporting the use of arthroplasty for minimally displaced fractures is promising, the necessary evidence to make this significant practice change remains lacking.

The eventual definitive trial has significant potential to change clinical practice and optimize patient outcomes for individuals that experience a minimally displaced FNF. Treating minimally displaced FNFs with arthroplasty, instead of internal fixation, would be a paradigm shift in clinical care. This pilot study will demonstrate feasibility of the definitive trial and be used to refine aspects of the study protocol as necessary. If feasibility is successfully demonstrated, the pilot activities will be considered a vanguard phase for the definitive clinical trial.

Adult patients ages 60 years or older with a low-energy minimally displaced femoral neck fracture treated with surgery will be eligible to participate in the study. Patients will be randomized to receive either hip arthroplasty or internal fixation. Patients will be followed for 1 year, with visits occurring at 6 weeks, 4 months, 8 months, and 1 year after fracture. At each follow-up, mortality, ambulation, days at home, and health status will be collected.

The primary objective is to assess feasibility of the trial and to collect information to inform the design of the definitive trial. The feasibility outcomes will include participant enrollment, adherence to treatment allocation, data collection methods, and compliance with key aspects of the protocol.

Conditions

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Femoral Neck Fractures

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Arthroplasty

A modern porous-coated press-fit or cemented hip arthroplasty prosthesis will be used at the treating surgeon's discretion. Press-fit implants that have no ingrowth or ongrowth surface will not be permitted. We recommend surgeons consider a total hip arthroplasty for younger active, independent participants; conversely, a hemiarthroplasty is recommended for more frail, lower-demand participants. Similarly, cemented arthroplasty for older adult participants is also recommended. The surgical approach and the use of post-operative hip precautions will be determined by the treating surgeon.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Arthroplasty

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

The type of hip prothesis (hemi or total; cemented or uncemented) will be at the discretion of the treating surgeon.

Internal Fixation

Based on the fracture displacement eligibility criteria, minimal or no reduction is expected during the surgical procedure. However, the treating surgeon will be allowed to perform fracture reduction maneuvers if desired. Fixed angle devices and multiple screws will be permitted. The internal fixation device(s) will be inserted through a small lateral incision. If using multiple cancellous screws, an inverted triangle or similar screw pattern is recommended. Fixed angle devices, such as a sliding hip screw (with or without an anti-rotation screw) or newer multi-screw fixed angle devices will also be permitted. Internal fixation constructs combining cancellous screws and fixed angle devices will be permitted.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Internal Fixation

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Both fixed angle devices and multiple screws will be permitted for the internal fixation group.

Interventions

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Arthroplasty

The type of hip prothesis (hemi or total; cemented or uncemented) will be at the discretion of the treating surgeon.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Internal Fixation

Both fixed angle devices and multiple screws will be permitted for the internal fixation group.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Patients 60 years of age or older.
* Complete fracture of the femoral neck (AO/OTA 31B) confirmed with anteroposterior and lateral hip radiographs, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
* Minimally displaced fracture that could be, in the judgment of the attending surgeon, optimally managed with either arthroplasty or in situ internal fixation without reduction.
* Low energy injury mechanism defined as a fall from standing height.
* Informed consent obtained from patient or proxy.
* Surgeons with expertise in total hip arthroplasty, hemiarthroplasty, and internal fixation are available to perform surgery. Note: Surgeons do not need to be experts in all techniques.

Exclusion Criteria

* Unable to ambulate 10 feet pre-injury with any assistance.
* Associated lower extremity injury that prevents post-operative weightbearing.
* Retained hardware around the hip that precludes either study treatment.
* Infection around the hip (soft tissue or bone).
* Pathologic fracture with a lytic lesion in the femoral neck that precludes internal fixation.
* Patient is too ill, in the judgement of the attending surgeon, for internal fixation.
* Patient is too ill, in the judgement of the attending surgeon, for arthroplasty.
* Unable to obtain informed consent due to language barriers.
* Problems, in the judgment of study personnel, with maintaining follow-up with the patient.
* Currently enrolled in a study that does not permit co-enrollment.
* Prior enrollment in the trial.
* Other reason to exclude the patient, as approved by the Methods Centre.
Minimum Eligible Age

60 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Orthopaedic Trauma Association

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

McMaster University

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Southern California

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of California, Irvine

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Maryland, Baltimore

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Mark Gage

Associate Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Gerard Slobogean, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Maryland, Baltimore

Sheila Sprague, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

McMaster University

Joseph Patterson, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Southern California

Locations

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University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut, United States

Site Status ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida, United States

Site Status ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING

University of Maryland, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

University of Maryland Capital Region Health

Largo, Maryland, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, New Hampshire, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Inova Fairfax Medical Campus

Falls Church, Virginia, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

University of British Columbia

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Site Status RECRUITING

Hamilton Health Sciences

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Site Status ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING

London Health Sciences Centre

London, Ontario, Canada

Site Status ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING

Vall d'Hebron University Hospital

Barcelona, , Spain

Site Status ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION

Countries

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United States Canada Spain

Central Contacts

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Heather Phipps, MPS

Role: CONTACT

410-706-2492

Facility Contacts

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Joe Patterson, MD

Role: primary

323-442-5860

Heather Phipps

Role: primary

410-706-2492

Todd Jaeblon, MD

Role: primary

Michael Weaver, MD

Role: primary

Ida L Gitahn, MD

Role: primary

Greg Gaski, MD

Role: primary

571-472-6464

Aresh Sepehri, MD

Role: primary

Other Identifiers

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HP-00100917

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id