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TraumaNCT01757951

Unimalleolar Versus Bimalleolar Fixation in Bi- or Trimalleolar Ankle Fracture

A study testing Unimalleolar fixation and Bimalleolar fixation in people with Trauma, run by University of Oulu at 1 site in Finland.

Suspended

Paused. Enrolment is on hold for now and may resume.

Official record
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Trial summary

A one third of all ankle fractures are bi- or trimalleolar. Traditionally these fractures are treated by both medial and lateral osteosynthesis, sometimes accompanied by osteosynthesis of the posterior malleolus. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 16 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Trauma
What is being tested?
Unimalleolar fixation and Bimalleolar fixation
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
126 participants
Where
1 siteFinland
Study dates
Feb 2012to Dec 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 16 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Weber B bi- or trimalleolar ankle fracture (fracture of the lateral and medial malleolus +/- posterior malleolus sized under 30% of the distal tibia joint line measured from the lateral projection of the standard ankle radiographs)
  • Age: 16 years or older
  • Voluntary
  • Operated within 7 days of the trauma
  • Able to walk unaided before the current trauma

Who cannot join

  • Peripheral neuropathy
  • Pilon fracture
  • Bilateral ankle fracture
  • Concomitant tibial fracture
  • Pathological fracture
  • Active infection around the ankle
Show all 10Show fewer
  • A previous ankle fracture on either side
  • In trimalleolar fractures, posterior malleolus fracture sized over 30% of the distal tibia joint line measured from the lateral projection of the standard ankle radiographs
  • Inadequate co-operation
  • Permanent residence outside the catchment area of the study hospital

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Finland1 site
  • Oulu University Hospital

    Oulu, 90029

Other trials in Finland

About this study

Official title: Unimalleolar Versus Bimalleolar Fixation in Bi- or Trimalleolar Ankle Fracture - A Randomized Clinical Trial

A one third of all ankle fractures are bi- or trimalleolar. Traditionally these fractures are treated by both medial and lateral osteosynthesis, sometimes accompanied by osteosynthesis of the posterior malleolus. There is significant evidence that fractures of the lateral malleolus can be treated conservatively if the medial side is stable. However, there isn't a single study comparing standard bi- or trimalleolar fixation with only medial side osteosynthesis and postoperative immobilization with a cast.

Conditions
Trauma
Being tested
Unimalleolar fixation, Bimalleolar fixation
Keywords
Ankle, Fracture, medial malleolus, Osteosynthesis
Medical subject headings
Wounds and Injuries, Fractures, Bone

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Unimalleolar fixationProcedure or surgery

    Medial malleolus is fixed first and after that ankle mortise stability is assessed using external-rotation stress test. If talocrural joint is stable after fixation of medial malleolus, the patient is randomized to unimalleolar fixation group and no fixation of the lateral side is performed.

  • Bimalleolar fixationProcedure or surgery

    Medial malleolus is fixed first and after that ankle mortise stability is assessed using external-rotation stress test. If talocrural joint is stable after fixation of medial malleolus, the patient is randomized to bimalleolar fixation group i.e. additional fixation of the lateral malleolus fracture is performed.

Study groups in NCT01757951
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Unimalleolar FixationExperimentalMedial malleolus is fixed first and after that ankle mortise stability is assessed using external-rotation stress test. If talocrural joint is stable after fixation of medial malleolus, the patient is randomized to unimalleolar fixation group and no fixation of the lateral side is performed.
Receives: Procedure: Unimalleolar fixation
Bimalleolar FixationActive comparatorMedial malleolus is fixed first and after that ankle mortise stability is assessed using external-rotation stress test. If talocrural joint is stable after fixation of medial malleolus, the patient is randomized to bimalleolar fixation group i.e. additional fixation of the lateral malleolus fracture is performed.
Receives: Procedure: Bimalleolar fixation

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Olerud-Molander Ankle Score

    A validated, condition-specific, patient-reported measure of ankle fracture symptoms. Range from 0 to 100 points, with higher scores indicating better function

    Measured: 2 years

Secondary outcomes (5)
  1. The Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS)

    FAOS, 5 subscales from 0-100, with higher scores indicating better function

    Measured: 2 years

  2. A 100 mm Visual Analogue Scale for function and pain (VAS)

    Range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more severe pain

    Measured: 2 years

  3. The RAND 36-Item Health Survey for health-related quality-of-life (RAND-36)

    8 subscales from 0-100, with higher scores indicating better health-related quality of life

    Measured: 2 years

  4. Talocrural joint congruence

    Medial clear space < 4 mm and ≤ 1 mm wider than the superior clear space as measured between the lateral border of the medial malleolus and the medial border of the talus at the level of the talar dome.

    Measured: At two, four and 12 weeks, and at 2 years

  5. Fracture healing

    Fracture union is considered complete when the fracture line disappeared and conversely, those fractures with a visible fracture line are deemed non-unions.

    Measured: 2 years

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted31 Dec 2012 (estimated)
  2. Study startFeb 2012
  3. Primary completionDec 2024 (estimated)
  4. Study completionDec 2026 (estimated)

Why it stopped: Partly due to financial issues and changes in study staff work placements

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
126 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01757951
Sponsor's protocol ID
OYSnilkka-RCT4
Status last verified
Nov 2022
First submitted
21 Dec 2012
Last updated
2 Nov 2022
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Unimalleolar fixation and Bimalleolar fixation in people with Trauma, run by University of Oulu at 1 site in Finland.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 10 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: paused, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Nov 2022. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Finland. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Results are not available in the source record.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Olerud-Molander Ankle Score (time frame: 2 years). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Nov 2022; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 7 Nov 2026.

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