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Medial Patellofemoral Ligament (MPFL) ReconstructionPhase 2NCT06559215

Evaluation of Pain Management After Surgery When Using Exparel in the Pediatric Population

A Phase 2 study testing Exparel in people with Medial Patellofemoral Ligament (MPFL) Reconstruction and Sports Injuries in Children, run by Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children at 1 site in United States.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to determine if administration of Exparel via local infiltration for medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction procedures in pediatric orthopaedic sports medicine patients provides significant pain relief and decreased narcotic use. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 13 to 21 years
What is being tested?
Exparel
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
100 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
1 Dec 2025to Sep 2028
Phase
Phase 2
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

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 13 to 21 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Must be aged 13+ years at time of surgery
  • Must present with injury requiring an isolated MPFL Reconstruction
  • Ability to provide assent, legally appointed representative available to provide informed consent

Who cannot join

  • Patient <13 years old
  • Requires fracture repair or another non-standardized surgery
  • Any MPFL Reconstruction that requires the use of arthrotomy or a tibial tubercle osteotomy
  • Any lower extremity procedure that is not an isolated MPFL Reconstruction
  • Patient pregnancy
  • Inability to provide assent or legally appointed representative to provide informed consent
  • Prior history of hypersensitivity to Exparel or any local anesthesia
  • BMI ≥ 40

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Robert Van Pelt, MPH contact

2145597456

bobby.vanpelt@tsrh.org

Anna Wilhelmy, MS contact

469-857-2109

anna.wilhelmy@tsrh.org

United States1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children

    Frisco, Texas, 75034

    Robert Van Pelt, MPH, 214-559-7456, bobby.vanpelt@tsrh.org

    Anna Wilhelmy, MS, 469-857-2109, anna.wilhelmy@tsrh.org

    Recruiting

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Prospective Evaluation of Post-operative Pain Management Using Exparel in the Pediatric Population

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to determine if administration of Exparel via local infiltration for medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction procedures in pediatric orthopaedic sports medicine patients provides significant pain relief and decreased narcotic use. The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Does Exparel significantly reduce Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores and pain levels up to one week postoperatively?
  • Does Exparel significantly decrease narcotic use (number of pills taken) up to one week postoperatively?
Read more

Researchers will compare the pain outcomes and narcotic use of patients who receive Exparel and Marcaine via local infiltration to those of patients who receive only Marcaine via local infiltration for their MPFL reconstruction surgery. The goal is to understand if there is a significant difference in patient pain outcomes and narcotic use outside the first 24 hours postoperatively.

Participants will:

  • receive either Exparel + Marcaine intraoperatively or Marcaine only intraoperatively during their MPFL reconstruction surgery
  • receive and complete questionnaires at postoperative days 1, 4, and 7 regarding their pain scores, levels, and outcomes, effective pain treatments, overall pain interference, narcotic use (number of pills taken), and overall pain treatment satisfaction
  • receive and complete secondary outcome measures of functional and psychological outcomes regarding their MPFL reconstruction surgery at postoperative day 1
Read the detailed description

This is a single institution, prospective, single-blinded (patient) randomized controlled trial to investigate the pain-control efficacy and patient reported pain outcomes of Exparel use in youth receiving MPFL Reconstruction. Participants will be randomized into two groups, Exparel + Marcaine or Marcaine-only. To be included, participants must be aged 10+ years at the time of surgery and present with an injury requiring an isolated MPFL reconstruction. Data will be collected from the patient's electronic medical record and from Oberd. Data collected will include age, height, weight, surgical information, diagnosis, patient reported outcomes (PROs) and patient demographics. 100 participants (50 per treatment group) will be enrolled in the study with a minimum of 80 needed to complete the study. Patients will be approached pre-operatively for participation, after which the surgical team will be informed. Patients will be offered the choice to participate in the study and randomize their treatment group. If patients do not want their treatment to be randomized, they will not be included in the study. Data collection will involve the Wong-Baker Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and VAS 10-centimeter line 0-10 Numeric Pain Intensity Scale, and an institution specific pain questionnaire regarding analgesic medicine intake and complications at postoperative day one, four and seven. A pain management patient satisfaction questionnaire will also be administered on post-operative day seven. Patients' medical records will also be reviewed for readmission, calls to their physician for pain, and other noted complications.

Patients will receive the following anesthesia doses by body weight (BW):

Pre-operatively:

  • Regardless of age: 0.5 mg Midazolam per kg BW (intravenous, 15 mg maximum)
  • If patient has history of PONV, 0.40 mg Emend per kg BW (pill), and 2 mg Midazolam (intravenous), and/or Scopolamine patch
  • If patient has history of anxiety or PTSD, or exhibits anxiety symptoms before surgery: 0.1 mg Valium per kg BW (maximum 10 mg)

Intra-operatively:

  • Amounts discretionary by patient vitals 0.5-1.0 mg Lidocaine per kg BW (intravenous -- no maximum) 3-4 mg Propofol per kg BW (no maximum) 1-2 mcg Fentanyl per kg BW (no maximum) 0.35 mg Ketamine per kg BW (no maximum) 0.1 mg Dexamethasone per kg BW (no maximum) If necessary: 0.004 - 0.006 mg Hydromorphone per kg BW (no maximum)
  • Optional:

10-20 mcg Dexmedetomidine per kg BW (for persistent tachycardia) <50% Nitrous If intubated/ventilated: 0.5-0.6 mg Rocuronium per kg BW, ~2 mg/kg Sugammadex for reversal If Tranexamic Acid administered: 15 mg per kg BW (10-15 min intravenous, maximum 1 g) For maintenance: 1 Minimum Alveolar Concentration (MAC) Sevoflurane and 15 mg Acetaminophen per kg BW (maximum 1 g) If necessary during emergence: 0.004-0.005 mg Hydromorphone per kg BW, 0.5 mg Ketorolac per kg BW (maximum 30 mg), and 0.1 mg Ondansetron per kg BW (maximum 4 mg)

  • If PACU medication required: 0.004-0.006 mg Hydromorphone per kg BW and 0.10- 0.15 mg Oxycodone per kg BW, and Metoclopramide, Dexamethasone, Promethazine, or Ondansetron

Exparel + Marcaine Group:

  • Local Infiltration: Regardless of weight: 10 mL Exparel and 10 mL 0.25% Marcaine

Marcaine Only Group:

  • Local Infiltration: Regardless of weight: 20 mL 0.25% Marcaine

Post-Operatively:

  • Days 1-3: Alternate weight-adjusted Acetaminophen and 10 mg Ketorolac every 3 hours
  • Days 4-7: Alternate weight-adjusted Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen every 3 hours
  • Days 1-5: 40 mg Famotidine every 12 hours
  • Rescue: Weight-adjusted Tramadol taken with Acetaminophen for severe pain (every 6 hours, maximum 8 doses) The investigators will enroll 50 patients in each treatment group with 40 in each group needed for a sufficiently powered analysis. Patients will not be informed of their treatment group until after the study is complete.
Being tested
Exparel
Keywords
Narcotic use, Postoperative pain management, MPFL reconstruction, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores, Multimodal pain management protocol
Medical subject headings
Agnosia, Pain, Postoperative

What participants receive

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

  • ExparelDrug

    Also called Liposomal bupivacaine

    Patients will be randomized to receive Exparel intraoperatively via local infiltration.

Study groups in NCT06559215
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Exparel + Marcaine GroupActive comparatorLocal Infiltration: Regardless of weight: 10 mL Exparel and 10 mL 0.25% Marcaine
Receives: Drug: Exparel
Marcaine Only GroupNo interventionLocal Infiltration: Regardless of weight: 20 mL 0.25% Marcaine

What is being measured

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

  1. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) Wong-Baker Face Pain Scale

    Scale with evocative faces from 0-10 (0 = No Pain, 10 = Worst Pain Possible) that assists children in communicating about their pain

    Measured: Postoperative days 1, 4, and 7

  2. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) 10-centimeter line 0-10 Numeric Pain Intensity Scale

    Sliding scale from 0-10 (0 = No Pain, 10 = Pain as bad as it could possibly be) that enables a more accurate estimate of pain score

    Measured: Postoperative days 1, 4, and 7

  3. Scottish Rite for Children-developed pain questionnaire

    Institutional questionnaire that asks how many narcotic pills the patient has taken (0 - 12 pills), if their pain is controlled, treatments that lessens their pain, term that best describes their pain, how much their pain has interfered with daily tasks and overall mood, and sleep interference due to pain.

    Measured: Postoperative days 1, 4, and 7

  4. Pain Management Patient Satisfaction questionnaire

    Questionnaire that asks how satisfied patients are with their pain treatment (0 = Not Satisfied, 10 = Extremely Satisfied), if they contacted their physician due to ineffective pain treatment, how helpful the information provided for pain treatment was (0 = Not Helpful, 10 = Extremely Helpful), and a free response section to explain why they were not satisfied with their pain treatment and if they have any additional comments or suggestions based on their pain treatment.

    Measured: Postoperative day 7

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pediatric Scale v1.0 - Global Health 7+2

    Questionnaire of outcomes regarding their overall health (scored 20-80, 20 = poor and 80 = good).

    Measured: Preoperatively and within one week postoperatively

Timeline

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

  1. First posted19 Aug 2024
  2. Study start1 Dec 2025
  3. Primary completionSep 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completionSep 2028 (estimated)

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 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Participant
Enrolment
100 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06559215
Sponsor's protocol ID
STU-2024-0773
Status last verified
Mar 2026
First submitted
15 Aug 2024
Last updated
9 Mar 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing Exparel in people with Medial Patellofemoral Ligament (MPFL) Reconstruction and Sports Injuries in Children, run by Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children 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 8 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 9 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.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

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

Contact Robert Van Pelt, MPH (2145597456, bobby.vanpelt@tsrh.org), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Visual Analog Scale (VAS) Wong-Baker Face Pain Scale (time frame: Postoperative days 1, 4, and 7). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. 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 9 Mar 2026.

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