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Radius Fracture DistalNCT05974254

Auricular Acupuncture As Part Of A Multimodal Regimen After Distal Radius Open Reduction and Internal Fixation

A study testing Acupuncture in people with Radius Fracture Distal and Pain, Postoperative, run by Baylor College of Medicine at 1 site in United States.

Withdrawn

Withdrawn. The study stopped before anyone enrolled.

Official record
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Trial summary

This randomized controlled trial will test the hypothesis that patients receiving an intraoperative auricular acupuncture protocol will require less postoperative opioid analgesic use compared to those who do not receive acupuncture in the setting of a multimodal analgesic protocol for patients receiving surgery to… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 64 years
Conditions the study is for
Radius Fracture Distal, Pain, Postoperative
What is being tested?
Acupuncture
Type of treatment
Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
0 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
9 Oct 2023to Dec 2025
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 18 to 64 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Patient ages 18-64
  • American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status 1, 2, or 3
  • Patients scheduled to undergo distal radius ORIF under brachial plexus nerve block

Who cannot join

  • Renal dysfunction (Serum Cr > 1.2) - excluded due to potential for altered metabolism of anesthetic and perioperative medications
  • Allergy to any of the standard anesthetic agents
  • Patient inability to properly communicate with investigators
  • Patient or surgeon refusal

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Ben Taub Hospital

    Houston, Texas, 77030

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Auricular Acupuncture As Part Of A Multimodal Regimen For Reduction Of Opioid Analgesic Use After Distal Radius Open Reduction and Internal Fixation- A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial will test the hypothesis that patients receiving an intraoperative auricular acupuncture protocol will require less postoperative opioid analgesic use compared to those who do not receive acupuncture in the setting of a multimodal analgesic protocol for patients receiving surgery to repair distal radius fractures at a Level 1 trauma center under brachial plexus anesthesia with sedation.

Being tested
Acupuncture
Medical subject headings
Wrist Fractures, Pain, Postoperative

What participants receive

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

Study groups in NCT05974254
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Electroauricular acupunctureExperimentalImmediately after Level 2 sedation is achieved, an enhanced auricular trauma protocol (ATP) will be administered on the ear ipsilateral to the operative side at 8 ear points (Hypothalamus, Amygdala, Hippocampus, Prefrontal Cortex, Point Zero, Shen Men, Insula, Vagus) as described by Cheng (2022). The original ATP was described by Helms (2011). Seirin L 0.2 x 30 mm needles will be placed at Hypothalamus and Shen Men points. Seirin J 0.18 x 15 mm needles will be placed at Amygdala, Hippocampus, Prefrontal Cortex, Point Zero, Vagus, and Insula points. Electrostimulation using an ITO ES 130 microstimulator at 30 HZ with Level 4 intensity, will be applied with the positive lead (red) on Hypothalamus and negative lead (black) at Shen Men for 60 minutes. All needles will be removed 1 hour after insertion.
Receives: Device: Acupuncture
No acupunctureNo interventionNo acupuncture treatment given

What is being measured

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

  1. Total opioid analgesic use for 14 days after surgery

    Total opioid given in hospital and taken at home, converted to oral morphine equivalents

    Measured: 14 days

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Pain scores

    Pain scores in PACU and at the 7 and 14 day mark post surgery

    Measured: 14 days

  2. Incidence of side effects associated with opioid use

    PONV, pruritus, headache, constipation, urinary retention, fatigue, difficulty with concentration, drowsiness, lightheadedness, dry mouth

    Measured: 14 days

Timeline

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

  1. First posted3 Aug 2023
  2. Study start9 Oct 2023 (estimated)
  3. Primary completionDec 2025 (estimated)
  4. Study completionDec 2025 (estimated)

Why it stopped: Unable to support start of study. PI left the institution. No patients recruited.

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
Model description
Randomized controlled trial Group 1 - acupuncture treatment Group 2 - no acupuncture treatment 70 patients per group
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
0 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05974254
Sponsor's protocol ID
H-53875
Status last verified
Dec 2025
First submitted
26 Jul 2023
Last updated
3 Mar 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
Yes
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Acupuncture in people with Radius Fracture Distal and Pain, Postoperative, run by Baylor College of Medicine 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 3 inclusion and 4 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: withdrawn, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Mar 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?

The study was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.

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?

Total opioid analgesic use for 14 days after surgery (time frame: 14 days). 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 3 Mar 2026.

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