Facial InjuriesNCT03423277
Easy Stretch Toolkit: A Pilot Study
A study testing Easy Stretch Toolkit in people with Facial Injuries, run by The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
To research the use of a novel set of intraoral tools called the Easy Stretch Toolkit for the therapeutic management of facial burns and other facial disorders. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 7 to 80 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Facial Injuries
- What is being tested?
- Easy Stretch Toolkit
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 8 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 28 Feb 2019to 7 Nov 2022
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
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 7 to 80 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Age 7-80
- Male or Female Sex
- Patients who have sustained a facial burn and are now in the chronic phase, or any patient experiencing facial tightness or limited range of motion due to other problems, including patients s/p radiation to the head and neck, trauma, scarring and scleroderma
- Chief complaint(s) of limited mouth opening, difficulty chewing or speaking, decreased range of motion for oral structures, and/or limited facial expressions
- Subject or caregiver (parent or guardian, in case of pediatric population) must be able to give informed consent
- Subject or caregiver (parent or guardian, in case of pediatric population) must be able to perform exercises at home and must be able to record time spent using the devices.
- Participants who are undergoing other treatment methods such as use of compression garments, skin grafting, radiation or other facial surgery, etc must suspend all of these treatments for the duration of the 2 month trial.
- Internet access including access to FaceTime, Skype or Zoom and email access if electing telehealth option for enrollment
Who cannot join
- planned or unplanned surgeries for facial skin grafting around lips or nose or oral commissure release during the upcoming 8 weeks
- completion of any massaging or other stretching exercises or programs not specified by the investigators
- use of new creams or topical treatments for the duration of enrollment in the study.
- acutely burn-injured patients
- incarceration, or pregnancy
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
University of Texas Medical Branch
Galveston, Texas, 77555
About this study
To research the use of a novel set of intraoral tools called the Easy Stretch Toolkit for the therapeutic management of facial burns and other facial disorders.
Read the detailed description
In this initial pilot study, we plan to recruit 20 adult or pediatric patients who have sustained facial burns or who have sustained a facial injury resulting in scarring, tightness, limited range of motion of facial skin or musculature, or fibrosis to complete the 8 week treatment. Participants will need to be able to attend a weekly telehealth or in person session with the investigators and complete the entire 8 week prescriptive program. Participants will be outpatient. A facial injury can be any disorder that results in scarring, tightness, limited range of motion of facial skin or musculature or fibrosis. Facial burn injury or facial injury is defined as an injury to the midface or lower half of the face and may be unilateral or bilateral. Participants must be in the chronic phase of recovery. Chronic burns are defined as those burns that are not in the acute healing phase, ie., there are no concerns for injury to new or healing skin or wound dehiscence.
- Conditions
- Facial Injuries
- Being tested
- Easy Stretch Toolkit
- Medical subject headings
- Facial Injuries
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Easy Stretch ToolkitDevice
Study the use of novel intraoral tools for management of facial burns and other facial disorders
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Easy Stretch Toolkit | Experimental | All participants will be using one or more of devices for 60 minutes 2 times per day for the duration of the 8 week trial. Prescriptive instructions for specific intraoral placements will be given based on the participant's deficit areas. Receives: Device: Easy Stretch Toolkit |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in the Facial Range of Motion at Baseline and Week 8
Facial measurements taken during select facial movements/expressions assessed by software program created at UTMB specifically for this project. The degree of change in facial movements will be assessed with 9 facial postures (face at rest, nose wrinkle, gentle smile, broad smile with lips closed, broad smile with teeth together, voice "eee", voice "ooo", pucker lips and open mouth wide), which will be photographed weekly. Two examples of the facial landmarks to be plotted and measured during each of the above expressions include right pupil to outside of right nare and length of philtrum, with the goal of measuring change over time with use of the Easy Stretch devices. Each of these measurements will produce a length in millimeters. Cumulative average of measurements will be reported per facial posture per participant.
Measured: 8 weeks
Secondary outcomes (1)
Change in the Facial Disability Index Scores From Baseline to Week 8
The Facial Disability Index (FDI) is a validated quality-of-life questionnaire consisting of 10 items, each scored on a 0-5 scale. Five items assess physical function and five items assess social well-being and function. Raw subscale scores are transformed according to standard FDI scoring procedures to yield physical function scores ranging from 0 to 100 and social function scores ranging from 0 to 100.
The total Facial Disability Index score is calculated by summing the transformed physical and social subscale scores, resulting in a total score range of 0 to 200. Higher scores indicate better facial function and quality of life, while lower scores indicate greater facial disability.
Measured: baseline and week 8
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted6 Feb 2018
- Study start28 Feb 2019
- Primary completion7 Nov 2022
- Study completion7 Nov 2022
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Publications (12)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Facial InjuriesStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 8 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Lori Arguello, Principal investigator, employee of University of Texas Medical BranchKathleen Kerr, Study director, employee of University of Texas Medical Branch
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03423277
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 18-0005
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 16 Jan 2018
- Last updated
- 12 Feb 2026
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- Yes
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Clayton NA, Ward EC, Maitz PK. Orofacial contracture management outcomes following partial thickness facial burns. Burns. 2015 Sep;41(6):1291-7. doi: 10.1016/j.burns.2015.02.015. Epub 2015 Jun 26.
PubMed 26120089Clayton NA, Ward EC, Maitz PK. Intensive swallowing and orofacial contracture rehabilitation after severe burn: A pilot study and literature review. Burns. 2017 Feb;43(1):e7-e17. doi: 10.1016/j.burns.2016.07.006. Epub 2016 Aug 26.
PubMed 27575671Macintyre L, Baird M. Pressure garments for use in the treatment of hypertrophic scars--a review of the problems associated with their use. Burns. 2006 Feb;32(1):10-5. doi: 10.1016/j.burns.2004.06.018.
PubMed 16413399Atiyeh BS, El Khatib AM, Dibo SA. Pressure garment therapy (PGT) of burn scars: evidence-based efficacy. Ann Burns Fire Disasters. 2013 Dec 31;26(4):205-12.
PubMed 24799851Clayton NA, Ellul G, Ward EC, Scott A, Maitz PK. Orofacial Contracture Management: Current Patterns of Clinical Practice in Australian and New Zealand Adult Burn Units. J Burn Care Res. 2017 Jan/Feb;38(1):e204-e211. doi: 10.1097/BCR.0000000000000351.
PubMed 27359188Parry I, Sen S, Palmieri T, Greenhalgh D. Nonsurgical scar management of the face: does early versus late intervention affect outcome? J Burn Care Res. 2013 Sep-Oct;34(5):569-75. doi: 10.1097/BCR.0b013e318278906d.
PubMed 23816994Hadlock TA, Urban LS. Toward a universal, automated facial measurement tool in facial reanimation. Arch Facial Plast Surg. 2012 Jul-Aug;14(4):277-82. doi: 10.1001/archfacial.2012.111.
PubMed 22508895Marur T, Tuna Y, Demirci S. Facial anatomy. Clin Dermatol. 2014 Jan-Feb;32(1):14-23. doi: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2013.05.022.
PubMed 24314374Jorge JJ Jr, Pialarissi PR, Borges GC, Squella SA, de Gouveia Mde F, Saragiotto JC Jr, Goncalves VR. Objective computerized evaluation of normal patterns of facial muscles contraction. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2012 Apr;78(2):41-51. doi: 10.1590/S1808-86942012000200008.
PubMed 22499369Feng G, Zhuang Y, Gao Z. Measurement and analysis of associated mimic muscle movements. J Otol. 2015 Mar;10(1):39-45. doi: 10.1016/j.joto.2015.06.001. Epub 2015 Aug 1.
PubMed 29937780Coulson SE, Croxson GR, Gilleard WL. Quantification of the three-dimensional displacement of normal facial movement. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2000 May;109(5):478-83. doi: 10.1177/000348940010900507.
PubMed 10823477VanSwearingen JM, Brach JS. The Facial Disability Index: reliability and validity of a disability assessment instrument for disorders of the facial neuromuscular system. Phys Ther. 1996 Dec;76(12):1288-98; discussion 1298-300. doi: 10.1093/ptj/76.12.1288.
PubMed 8959998
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 12 Feb 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Easy Stretch Toolkit: A Pilot Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03423277
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 18-0005
- Conditions
- Facial Injuries
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 8 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- The University of Texas Medical Branch, GalvestonUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 28 Feb 2019 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 7 Nov 2022 (actual)
- Study completion
- 7 Nov 2022 (actual)
- First posted
- 6 Feb 2018 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 12 Feb 2026
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
To research the use of a novel set of intraoral tools called the Easy Stretch Toolkit for the therapeutic management of facial burns and other facial disorders.
Detailed description
In this initial pilot study, we plan to recruit 20 adult or pediatric patients who have sustained facial burns or who have sustained a facial injury resulting in scarring, tightness, limited range of motion of facial skin or musculature, or fibrosis to complete the 8 week treatment. Participants will need to be able to attend a weekly telehealth or in person session with the investigators and complete the entire 8 week prescriptive program. Participants will be outpatient. A facial injury can be any disorder that results in scarring, tightness, limited range of motion of facial skin or musculature or fibrosis. Facial burn injury or facial injury is defined as an injury to the midface or lower half of the face and may be unilateral or bilateral. Participants must be in the chronic phase of recovery. Chronic burns are defined as those burns that are not in the acute healing phase, ie., there are no concerns for injury to new or healing skin or wound dehiscence.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Easy Stretch Toolkit | Experimental | Device: Easy Stretch ToolkitAll participants will be using one or more of devices for 60 minutes 2 times per day for the duration of the 8 week trial. Prescriptive instructions for specific intraoral placements will be given based on the participant's deficit areas. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 7 to 80 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Age 7-80
- Male or Female Sex
- Patients who have sustained a facial burn and are now in the chronic phase, or any patient experiencing facial tightness or limited range of motion due to other problems, including patients s/p radiation to the head and neck, trauma, scarring and scleroderma
- Chief complaint(s) of limited mouth opening, difficulty chewing or speaking, decreased range of motion for oral structures, and/or limited facial expressions
- Subject or caregiver (parent or guardian, in case of pediatric population) must be able to give informed consent
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- planned or unplanned surgeries for facial skin grafting around lips or nose or oral commissure release during the upcoming 8 weeks
- completion of any massaging or other stretching exercises or programs not specified by the investigators
- use of new creams or topical treatments for the duration of enrollment in the study.
- acutely burn-injured patients
- incarceration, or pregnancy
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Easy Stretch ToolkitStudy the use of novel intraoral tools for management of facial burns and other facial disorders | Device | Easy Stretch Toolkit |
Primary outcome
Change in the Facial Range of Motion at Baseline and Week 8
Time frame: 8 weeks
Facial measurements taken during select facial movements/expressions assessed by software program created at UTMB specifically for this project. The degree of change in facial movements will be assessed with 9 facial postures (face at rest, nose wrinkle, gentle smile, broad smile with lips closed, broad smile with teeth together, voice "eee", voice "ooo", pucker lips and open mouth wide), which will be photographed weekly. Two examples of the facial landmarks to be plotted and measured during each of the above expressions include right pupil to outside of right nare and length of philtrum, with the goal of measuring change over time with use of the Easy Stretch devices. Each of these measurements will produce a length in millimeters. Cumulative average of measurements will be reported per facial posture per participant.
1 secondary outcome
Change in the Facial Disability Index Scores From Baseline to Week 8
Time frame: baseline and week 8
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 12 Feb 2026.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Background: PubMed 26120089Clayton NA, Ward EC, Maitz PK. Orofacial contracture management outcomes following partial thickness facial burns. Burns. 2015 Sep;41(6):1291-7. doi: 10.1016/j.burns.2015.02.015. Epub 2015 Jun 26.
- Background: PubMed 27575671Clayton NA, Ward EC, Maitz PK. Intensive swallowing and orofacial contracture rehabilitation after severe burn: A pilot study and literature review. Burns. 2017 Feb;43(1):e7-e17. doi: 10.1016/j.burns.2016.07.006. Epub 2016 Aug 26.
- Background: PubMed 16413399Macintyre L, Baird M. Pressure garments for use in the treatment of hypertrophic scars--a review of the problems associated with their use. Burns. 2006 Feb;32(1):10-5. doi: 10.1016/j.burns.2004.06.018.
- Background: PubMed 24799851Atiyeh BS, El Khatib AM, Dibo SA. Pressure garment therapy (PGT) of burn scars: evidence-based efficacy. Ann Burns Fire Disasters. 2013 Dec 31;26(4):205-12.
- Background: PubMed 27359188Clayton NA, Ellul G, Ward EC, Scott A, Maitz PK. Orofacial Contracture Management: Current Patterns of Clinical Practice in Australian and New Zealand Adult Burn Units. J Burn Care Res. 2017 Jan/Feb;38(1):e204-e211. doi: 10.1097/BCR.0000000000000351.
- Background: PubMed 23816994Parry I, Sen S, Palmieri T, Greenhalgh D. Nonsurgical scar management of the face: does early versus late intervention affect outcome? J Burn Care Res. 2013 Sep-Oct;34(5):569-75. doi: 10.1097/BCR.0b013e318278906d.
- Background: PubMed 22508895Hadlock TA, Urban LS. Toward a universal, automated facial measurement tool in facial reanimation. Arch Facial Plast Surg. 2012 Jul-Aug;14(4):277-82. doi: 10.1001/archfacial.2012.111.
- Background: PubMed 24314374Marur T, Tuna Y, Demirci S. Facial anatomy. Clin Dermatol. 2014 Jan-Feb;32(1):14-23. doi: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2013.05.022.
- Background: PubMed 22499369Jorge JJ Jr, Pialarissi PR, Borges GC, Squella SA, de Gouveia Mde F, Saragiotto JC Jr, Goncalves VR. Objective computerized evaluation of normal patterns of facial muscles contraction. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2012 Apr;78(2):41-51. doi: 10.1590/S1808-86942012000200008.
- Background: PubMed 29937780Feng G, Zhuang Y, Gao Z. Measurement and analysis of associated mimic muscle movements. J Otol. 2015 Mar;10(1):39-45. doi: 10.1016/j.joto.2015.06.001. Epub 2015 Aug 1.
- Background: PubMed 10823477Coulson SE, Croxson GR, Gilleard WL. Quantification of the three-dimensional displacement of normal facial movement. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2000 May;109(5):478-83. doi: 10.1177/000348940010900507.
- Background: PubMed 8959998VanSwearingen JM, Brach JS. The Facial Disability Index: reliability and validity of a disability assessment instrument for disorders of the facial neuromuscular system. Phys Ther. 1996 Dec;76(12):1288-98; discussion 1298-300. doi: 10.1093/ptj/76.12.1288.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Lori Arguello principal investigator
employee of University of Texas Medical Branch
Kathleen Kerr study director
employee of University of Texas Medical Branch
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Easy Stretch Toolkit in people with Facial Injuries, run by The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston at 1 site in United States.
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 8 inclusion and 5 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 12 Feb 2026. 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 United States. 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?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 12 Feb 2026). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
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?
Change in the Facial Range of Motion at Baseline and Week 8 (time frame: 8 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT03423277, which also lists 12 linked publications.
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 12 Feb 2026.