Physical Therapy Wound Care Modalities in Patients With Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) ((SCI))

April 2, 2026 updated by: Wake Forest University Health Sciences

A Prospective Analysis of Physical Therapy Wound Care Modalities in Patients With Spinal Cord Injury

To examine the effects of Physical Therapist (PT) wound care modalities (pulsed wound irrigation (PWI) + electrical stimulation (ES), PWI only, and ES only) on wound healing in patients with spinal cord injuries (SCI).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

It is hypothesized that PWI + ES will demonstrate the greatest rate of wound healing due to the combined effect of these treatments, which positively impact several aspects of the wound healing cascade. It is hypothesized that all patients will demonstrate improved quality of life from receiving wound care treatments by Physical Therapists due to individualized education and treatments which engage patients in their wound healing process and promote self-efficacy.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
40

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • North Carolina
      • Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, 28203
        • Recruiting
        • Carolinas Rehabilitation

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Currently enrolled at inpatient rehabilitation at Carolinas Rehabilitation Charlotte
  • Diagnosis of spinal cord injury and concomitant pressure injury to sacrum or ischium
  • Agreeable to wound care treatment by Physical Therapist (PT)
  • Able to perform informed consent
  • Over 18 years of age
  • Physician order for PT wound care evaluation and treatment
  • Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool (BWAT) >31 on initial evaluation

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pain which limits ability to tolerate wound care treatments
  • Unable to perform informed consent
  • Pregnancy
  • Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool (BWAT) <30 on initial evaluation

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: pulsed wound irrigation (PWI)
The necrotic wound is irrigated with normal saline (0.9%) with an 8-12 pounds per square inch pressure (PSI) to provide a mechanical force to loosen necrotic tissue for wound healing
Procedure: pulsed wound irrigation (PWI)
necrotic wound is irrigated with normal saline (0.9%) with an 8-12 pounds per square inch pressure (PSI) to provide a mechanical force to loosen necrotic tissue for wound healing
Experimental: electrical stimulation (ES)
ES works to promote the migration of cells based on natural cell polarity known as galvanotaxis, enhancing and mimicking the natural current of injury. By recreating the natural electrical fields of the skin, ES attracts immune cells vital to healing to wound to facilitate wound closure
Procedure: electrical stimulation (ES)
high volt pulsed current (HVPC) is most effective in wound healing while decreasing risk of adverse skin reactions or mild burns under the electrodes
Experimental: electrical stimulation (ES) and pulsed wound irrigation (PWI)
The necrotic wound is irrigated with normal saline (0.9%) with an 8-12 pounds per square inch pressure (PSI) to provide a mechanical force to loosen necrotic tissue for wound healing and ES to promote the migration of cells based on natural cell polarity known as galvanotaxis, enhancing and mimicking the natural current of injury. By recreating the natural electrical fields of the skin, ES attracts immune cells vital to healing to wound to facilitate wound closure
Procedure: electrical stimulation (ES) and pulsed wound irrigation (PWI)
necrotic wound is irrigated with normal saline (0.9%) with an 8-12 pounds per square inch pressure (PSI) to provide a mechanical force to loosen necrotic tissue for wound healing and high volt pulsed current (HVPC) is most effective in wound healing while decreasing risk of adverse skin reactions or mild burns under the electrodes

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool (BWAT) score
Time Frame: Baseline
15-item objective measure designed to assess wound status and track healing - related to healing on a 1 (healed) to 5 (severe) scale to create a summative score between 13-65 with lower scores indicating progression towards healing
Baseline
Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool (BWAT) score
Time Frame: Week 1
15-item objective measure designed to assess wound status and track healing - related to healing on a 1 (healed) to 5 (severe) scale to create a summative score between 13-65 with lower scores indicating progression towards healing
Week 1
Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool (BWAT) score
Time Frame: Year 1
15-item objective measure designed to assess wound status and track healing - related to healing on a 1 (healed) to 5 (severe) scale to create a summative score between 13-65 with lower scores indicating progression towards healing
Year 1

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in The Spinal Cord Injury Quality of Life measurement system (SCI-QOL) Short Form Score
Time Frame: Baseline and Year 1
measures health-related quality of life specific to patients with Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) - Higher scores indicate worse functioning quality of life related to pressure injuries, while lower scores indicate fewer impairments
Baseline and Year 1

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Wake Forest University Health Sciences

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Erin Weeks, PT,DPT, CWS, Carolinas Rehabilitation

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 11, 2022

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
October 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
October 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 6, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 13, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 14, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 8, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 2, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • IRB00085228

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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