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Enrolling by invitationNCT06440564Updated Jun 4, 2024

Laser Disinfection in Periprosthetic Joint Infection

An interventional study of Er:YAG Laser irradiation in Periprosthetic Joint Infections, sponsored by Medical University of Vienna. Enrolling by invitation at 1 site in Austria. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-06-04.

Sponsored by Medical University of Vienna · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 2 years 6 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Nov 2021, registered May 2024).
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
30
Allocation
Not applicable
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The eradication of biofilms from infected implants is still an unsolved challenge. The high-energy light beam of an Er:YAG laser causes rapid heating and explosive ablation of tissue. In this study we test the suitability of this laser for the removal of biofilms from infected implant surfaces.

Read the detailed description

Infections after joint arthroplasties represent a devastating and progressively escalating complication with increased morbidity and mortality. The eradication of biofilms from infected implants is still an unsolved challenge. The high-energy light beam of an Er:YAG laser causes rapid heating and explosive ablation of tissue. In this study the investigators test the suitability of this laser for the removal of biofilms from infected implant surfaces.

Methods In this prospective study, acute or early hematogenous periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) will be treated with the modified procedure of Debridement, Antibiotics, Laser irradiation and Implant Retention (DALIR). The investigators compare the completeness of biofilm removal from the implant surface with mechanical cleansing alone and the additional use of Er:YAG laser light. Therefore, the investigators will obtain swab cultures from the implants on three distinct occasions: post-arthrotomy, subsequent to mechanical cleansing, and after Er:YAG laser irradiation. The investigators also compare the success rate of the DALIR procedure with the international literature.

Results The investigators expect, that the prevalence of viable microorganisms obtained from implant surfaces through swab cultures will be considerably diminished after additional Er:YAG laser therapy in comparison to only mechanical cleaning with LavaSurge®. The investigators hope to reach a higher healing rate in relation to comparable studies.

Conclusion If the hypothese is correct, the investigators will recommend the use of Er:YAG laser irradiation as an additional tool for disinfection of metal implants in PJIs whenever a DAIR procedure seems to be beneficial.

02

Conditions studied

  • Periprosthetic Joint Infections

Keywords

  • Er:YAG laser
  • biofilm removal
  • periprosthetic joint infections (PJI)
  • DAIR
  • laser disinfection
03

In context

Infections

6,687 studies on the registry are indexed under Infections; 807 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 30 is below the median of 120 across 4,200 interventional studies indexed under Infections.

Browse Infections studies →

Lead sponsor

Medical University of Vienna is the lead sponsor of 1,076 studies on the registry; 177 are open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
Child (0–17), Adult (18–64), Older adult (65+)
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients with periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) that will be treated with a debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention (DAIR) procedure

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • When a DAIR procedure seems not beneficial in a PJI case.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
30 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Er:YAG Laser intervention

    In addition to the standard DAIR procedure, laser light is used to disrupt the biofilm from implant surfaced.

    Procedure: Er:YAG Laser irradiation

Interventions

  • ProcedureEr:YAG Laser irradiation

    The presented DALIR procedure differs in so far from a standard treatment that after exposure all accessible metal implant surfaces and the adjacent soft tissue is irradiated manually with the Er:YAG laser all over line-by-line with an intended overlap of approximately 10% at constant spot diameter.

    Also known as: Mechanical cleaning with LavaSurge®

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Biofil Eradication

    Primary outcome is the comparison of biofilm removal from the implant surface with mechanical cleansing alone (LavaSurge® administered with Pulsavac®) and the additional use of Er:YAG laser light. This is demonstrated by taking microbiological swabs from the implant surface before and after laser treatment.

    Time frame: 14 days

Secondary outcomes

  1. Healing Rate

    Secondary outcome is infection eradication at 1 year following the DALIR procedure. Success of a DALIR procedure will be determined by the absence of antibiotic administration, lack of clinical indications of infection, and absence of infection related subsequent surgical procedures.

    Time frame: 1 year

07

Study locations

1 site
  • University Clinic of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery (Paracelus Medical University Salzburg, Austria)
    Salzburg, 05020, Austria
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jun 4, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06440564
Lead sponsor
Medical University of Vienna
Collaborators
Paracelsus Medical University
Responsible party
Lukas Kriechbaumer (MD, Paracelsus Medical University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jun 4, 2024
Start date
Nov 1, 2021
Primary completion
May 1, 2024
Completion
May 1, 2025 (estimated)
Last update
Jun 4, 2024

Study contacts

Lukas K Kriechbaumer, MD
principal investigator · Paracelsus Medical University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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