CClinicalTrials.gg
TerminatedNCT01553630Updated Nov 11, 2014

Reamed Locked Plating - Metaphyseal Fractures of the Distal Femur and Tibia

An interventional study of RIA bone graft and Surgery without bone graft in Femoral Fractures and Tibial Fractures, sponsored by Florida Orthopaedic Institute. Terminated at 2 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 90 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2014-11-11.

Sponsored by Florida Orthopaedic Institute · Not applicable and Interventional

Why this study was terminated
Low enrollment.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
6
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 90 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Comminuted metaphyseal fractures (OTA classification A2/3 and C2/3) of the distal femur and distal tibia are difficult to treat and typically have more complications than other metaphyseal fractures. Delayed union, nonunion and need for secondary bone graft procedures are frequent outcomes. These A2/3 and C2/3 fractures of the distal femur and distal tibia treated with locked plates often have a critical sized fracture gap (poorly organized cortical pieces many of which are stripped of soft tissue). Optimal management strategies that minimize both fracture healing time and complication rates remain controversial. Primary bone grafts or early secondary bone grafts have been recommended for these comminuted open fractures, but have not been studied as the primary end point in a randomized trial. There is a need to study primary bone grafting during open reduction and internal fixation (plating) of these difficult fractures, to determine if shorter healing time, and thus less need for reoperation, can be achieved.

Hypothesis Acute autogenous bone grafting at the time of fixation will hasten clinical and radiographic union with a lower need for secondary procedures

Read the detailed description

Study procedures:

Eligible fractures will be identified, consented and randomized to RIA augmentation or non graft treatment. Bone graft will be harvested through the fracture at the time of the definitive fixation procedure. No additional graft can be utilized acutely (No iliac crest bone graft, or INFUSE, OP-1, Callos, etc).

Randomization Procedures: We will be using Research Randomizer to calculate a random assignment design for Group A and Group B, which will be kept by the Research Coordinator. Once a patient agrees to participate in the study and signs an Informed Consent Form, the treating surgeon will request the treatment assignment from the Research Coordinator prior to the surgery. Group A will receive RIA augmentation. Group B will receive non-graft treatment. Patient outcomes will be analyzed using intention to treat principles.

Surgical Procedures: Locked lateral plating of comminuted supracondylar femur and distal tibia fractures is an accepted standard of care. In severely comminuted fracture patterns, restoration of length and alignment often leaves substantial fracture gap increasing the risk of fracture nonunion. Historically, this has been accepted with the plan to return to the patient to surgery for bone grafting at a later date if the nonunion is developing. Intra-focal reaming with irrigation \& aspiration (RIA) at time of initial surgery allows for acute autogenous bone grafting with no increased morbidity to the patient.

Surgery for Group A receiving bone graft follows the same course as without acute grafting (same incision, dissection etc.) with the exception that after initial exposure, a guide wire is placed into the proximal femoral canal (retrograde) through the fracture, and graft is harvested using the RIA system. The RIA system has a reservoir to collect the reamings as they are aspirated from the fracture site. Reduction and fixation with locked plates then proceed as usual and the harvested graft is then placed into the residual gap with the expectation that nonunion rates may be decreased. A theoretical advantage is the renewed fracture hematoma that will collect at the fracture site secondary to reaming the canal which may also increase union rates and time to union. No increased morbidity is incurred and the increased surgical time is under 10 minutes.

02

Conditions studied

  • Femoral Fractures
  • Tibial Fractures

Keywords

  • Fractures
  • distal femur fractures
  • distal tibial fracures
03

In context

Fractures, Bone

2,261 studies on the registry are indexed under Fractures, Bone; 325 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 6 is below the median of 69 across 1,482 interventional studies indexed under Fractures, Bone.

Browse Fractures, Bone studies →

Lead sponsor

Florida Orthopaedic Institute is the lead sponsor of 8 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 90 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • High energy metaphyseal fracture (distal femur or tibia) indicated for plate fixation (open or closed)
  • Adult, acute fractures only

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Unable to ream fractured bone
  • Subject is unable, unwilling or unlikely to follow up
  • Subject is under age 18 years
  • Prisoners
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
6 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    RIA bone graft

    Surgery: open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of high energy metaphyseal fractures with Reamed Irrigator Aspirator (RIA) bone graft at the time of fixation.

    Procedure: RIA bone graft

  • Active comparator
    Surgery without bone graft

    Surgery:open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of high energy metaphyseal fractures without Reamed Irrigator Aspirator (RIA) bone graft at the time of fixation.

    Procedure: Surgery without bone graft

Interventions

  • ProcedureRIA bone graft

    Acute autogenous bone grafting with RIA graft at the time of surgical fixation.

  • ProcedureSurgery without bone graft

    Plating of fracture without bone graft

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Time to union

    This will be evaluated with the reading of xrays

    Time frame: 3 months, 6 months and 1 year

Secondary outcomes

  1. Reoperation rate

    The rate of re operation will be evaluated

    Time frame: 3 months, 6 months, 1 year

07

Study locations

2 sites
  • Tampa General Hospital
    Tampa, Florida 33606, United States
  • St Jospehs Hospital
    Tampa, Florida 33607, United States
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Claireaux HA, Searle HKC, Parsons NR, Griffin XL. Interventions for treating fractures of the distal femur in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022 Oct 5;10(10):CD010606. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010606.pub3. PubMed 36197809 ↗
09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Nov 11, 2014, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01553630
Lead sponsor
Florida Orthopaedic Institute
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Mar 14, 2012
Start date
May 2010
Primary completion
Aug 2014
Completion
Aug 2014
Last update
Nov 11, 2014

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is terminated, as verified in Nov 2014. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion