An observational study in Musculoskeletal Infection, Septic Arthritis and Osteomyelitis/Septic Arthritis, sponsored by Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust. Recruiting at 1 site in United Kingdom. Open to participants aged 0 Years to 15 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-02-04.
Sponsored by Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust · Observational
This is a pilot proof of feasibility study to explore the efficacy of High Resolution Infrared Thermographic Imaging (HRTI) to assist with the detection of musculoskeletal infections in children. In HRTI, a sensitive thermal camera is used to capture the temperature profile of the suspected infected body region in the form of images. In this study, a 10-second video will be recorded to allow dynamic monitoring. The resulting video will be processed and interpreted to determine whether there is a musculoskeletal infection.
Bone, joint and soft tissue infections can be caused by bacteria which can enter the body through accidental injuries, or because of surgery or implants. Once in the body, they circulate through the bloodstream until they reach a bone, joint, or muscle, multiply and cause infection. These conditions can cause significant complications in children and adults and can even result in death if untreated.
Infections of the bone, called osteomyelitis can inhibit bone growth in children. As a result, children who have suffered from osteomyelitis may require extensive treatment later in childhood. While osteomyelitis accounts for only 1% of childhood hospital admissions, its incidence in children has increased in recent decades. This is associated with an increase in the prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria such as MRSA.
Infections of the joint, called septic arthritis, is an emergency condition that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. Long delays in diagnosis and surgical drainage of the joint may lead to irreversible damage to the cartilage and bone destruction.
There is currently a need for improved technologies to screen for and monitor bone, joint, and soft tissue infections. Plain radiographs appear normal in the first 7 to 10 days of osteomyelitis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most sensitive modality for diagnosing osteomyelitis. However, MRI scans are costly their accessibility is limited, plus the scan can take 30 minutes to perform. As the child needs to be still during the scan, sedation is required.
Infrared thermal imaging is a harmless, cost effective and rapid scanning method that has proven industrial applications such as condition monitoring of machineries and fault findings. There has also been extensive interest in utilising and this technology for medical diagnosis and monitoring. This study builds on our earlier work that used HRTI to detect inflammation in the abdomen in infants. This technology may allow timelier and more cost-effective diagnosis of the condition. Sheffield Children's Hospital and Sheffield Hallam University collaborate in conducting the study.
The study will involve recruiting 30 patients at Sheffield Children's Hospital with suspected infection of either bone, joint or soft tissue. They will have their HRTI recorded and processed to follow up the study's research questions. The findings from the study will not alter the routine medical treatments of the patients and participation is voluntary.
51 studies on the registry are indexed under Arthritis, Infectious; 12 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 30 is below the median of 100 across 30 observational studies indexed under Arthritis, Infectious.
Browse Arthritis, Infectious studies →Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust is the lead sponsor of 53 studies on the registry; 10 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Paediatric patients ages 0-15 presenting to Sheffield Children's Hospital with a suspected primary muscoloskeltal infection
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Patients are stratified into two arms. If the participant is admitted with septic arthritis they will be prepared to be taken to theatres to have routine surgery. After the patients is in the theatre under general anaesthesia and immediately prior to surgery the research team will perform the study intervention. This is using a High Resolution Thermal Imaging camera to take an image of the infected area.
Device: High Resolution Thermal Imaging
Patients are stratified into two arms. If the participant is admitted with a non emergent MSK infection, the patient will be prepared to have an MRI scan. Immediately prior to the MRI scan, the research team will perform the study intervention. This is using a High Resolution Thermal Imaging camera to take an image of the infected area.
Device: High Resolution Thermal Imaging
A HRTI camera is a non-invasive medical device that will be utilised on patients that present in ED with an MSK infection. The goal of this intervention is to answer the following: Can combined HRTI and blood tests provide a higher diagnostic reliability than HRTI on its own? Can combined HRTI and artificial intelligence (AI) provide a timelier (as compared to existing modalities) detection of bone, joint and soft tissue infection thus allowing a more effective treatment? What are patients views and feedback for the new HRTI method?
Thermal profile variability in affected and contralateral region of interest.
On admission (Day 1), thermal images of the affected and contralateral limbs are obtained. This generates a thermal profile through which the temperature (°C) can be extracted. A region of interest is drawn around the suspected anatomical zone of the infection. This outcome measure will compare differences in the temperature (°C) of the affected and contralateral region of interest. This will include the mean temperature difference and the hottest and coldest spots in each zone, respectively.
Time frame: Admission to hospital (Day 1)
Erythrocyte Sedimentation rate (ESR)
On admission (DAY 1) blood will be drawn and ESR will be recorded in millimeters per hour (mm/hr)
Time frame: On admission (day 1)
C-reactive protein (CRP)
On admission (DAY 1), blood will be drawn and CRP will be measured in milligrams per litre (mg/L).
Time frame: On admission (Day 1)
White blood cell count (WBC)
On admission (DAY 1), bloods will be drawn and the white blood cell count (x10\^9/L) will be recorded.
Time frame: On admission (day 1)
Started Feb 2025 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Jan 2026, 11 months after the start.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.
Contact study teamGet an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions 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.
Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust