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Pre-drilling or Self Drilling External Fixation Pins

NCT01046747 · Status: UNKNOWN · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 100

Last updated 2010-01-12

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Hypothesis

There is no difference in the incidence of pin tract infection and pin loosening in case of lower extremity external fixators when self-drilling schanz pins are used with or without pre-drilling.

Primary Objective

The primary objective is to determine whether pre-drilling holes for external fixation pin insertion is superior to not pre-drilling holes for external fixation pin insertion in regards to the incidence of pin tract infection and pin loosening.

Secondary Objective

If any difference is found between the two techniques then, we will quantify and qualify those differences. The incidence of pin site infection and pin loosening in general will be determined and will also be stratified for site and size of pin. An attempt to identify risk factors for pin site infection will be made by observing the effect of secondary prognostic factors like mode of injury, diabetes, smoking, compartment syndrome, peripheral vascular disease, neurovascular injury. Interobserver reliability of the grading system for pin infection will also be determined.

Conditions

  • Fracture
  • Dislocation

Interventions

PROCEDURE

Placement of external fixation pins

The fractures will be treated according to standard of care. If the external fixation is to be used as a staging procedure, then this will be removed and an internal fixation procedure will be performed. The pin sites will be checked daily according to standard of care. All individuals involved in the examination of the pin sites will receive a standardized training in the grading of pin tract infection and loosening. Each pin site will be graded individually by three persons to evaluate internal accuracy of our grading. Pin tract infections will be first graded as yes or no, and then graded according to the Modified Joglekar Classification (Grade 0-4, Grade 0: no erythema, no drainage; Grade 1: erythema, no drainage OR no erythema with serous drainage; Grade 2: erythema, serous drainage; Grade 3: erythema, purulent drainage; Grade 4: gross pin loosening). Pin loosening will be evaluated at the time of pin removal and graded as either yes or no.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Temple University

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
89 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2009-07-31
Primary Completion
2011-08-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT01046747 on ClinicalTrials.gov