Elastic Nailing With Kirschner Wires Versus Plate Fixation for Distal Tibial Fractures in Adolescents

August 24, 2026 updated by: Mohamed Sabry Farghaly, Sohag University

Elastic Stable Intramedullary Nailing Supplemented by Kirschner Wires Versus Plate Fixation in the Treatment of Distal Tibial Metaphyseal-diaphyseal Junction Fractures in Adolescents

This prospective randomized controlled trial will compare two surgical methods for treating distal tibial metaphyseal-diaphyseal junction fractures in adolescents aged 10 to 16 years. Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either elastic stable intramedullary nailing supplemented by Kirschner wires or plate fixation. The study will compare fracture healing, radiological alignment, time to full weight-bearing, functional outcomes, and treatment-related complications. Participants will be followed at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after surgery.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

Conditions

Conditions

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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

Distal tibial metaphyseal-diaphyseal junction fractures in adolescents can be difficult to treat because of the short distal fragment, proximity to the growth plate, and tendency toward displacement and malalignment. Elastic stable intramedullary nailing is minimally invasive and preserves the fracture biology, but fixation of the short distal fragment may be less stable. Supplementary Kirschner wires may improve rotational and angular stability. Plate fixation provides stable fixation and good control of alignment but may require greater soft-tissue dissection.

This study will be conducted at the Department of Orthopaedics Surgery, Sohag University Hospital. Eligible adolescents with displaced or unstable distal tibial metaphyseal-diaphyseal junction fractures requiring surgical fixation will be randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. Group A will undergo elastic stable intramedullary nailing supplemented by one or two Kirschner wires. Group B will undergo plate fixation using a distal tibial locking compression plate. Randomization will be performed using a computer-generated sequence in a 1:1 ratio.

Patients will undergo clinical and radiological follow-up at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. The primary outcomes are time to radiological union and fracture union rate. Secondary outcomes include coronal and sagittal alignment, time to full weight-bearing, AOFAS Ankle-Hindfoot Score, Lower Extremity Functional Scale, and complications including malunion, delayed union, nonunion, infection, implant irritation or failure, and reoperation.

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.
60

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 Locations

  • Egypt
    • Sohag Governorate
      • Sohag, Sohag Governorate, Egypt, 82749

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

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 10-16 years.
  • Patients diagnosed with distal tibial metaphyseal-diaphyseal junction (DTDMJ) fractures.
  • Closed fractures or Gustilo-Anderson type I open fractures.
  • Acute fractures presenting within two weeks of injury.
  • Displaced or unstable fractures requiring surgical fixation.
  • Open or partially open physis, as assessed on preoperative radiographs.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients younger than 10 years or older than 16 years.
  • Fractures involving the distal tibial physis (Salter-Harris fractures).
  • Intra-articular distal tibial fractures.
  • Gustilo-Anderson type II and III open fractures.
  • Pathological fractures.
  • Fractures associated with metabolic bone disease or congenital skeletal disorders.
  • Polytrauma patients requiring alternative treatment priorities.
  • Previous fracture, deformity, or surgical intervention involving the affected tibia.
  • Neurovascular injury requiring repair.

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: ESIN Supplemented by Kirschner Wires
Participants assigned to this arm will undergo elastic stable intramedullary nailing using two appropriately sized elastic titanium nails inserted through medial and lateral proximal tibial metaphyseal entry points. One or two supplementary Kirschner wires will then be inserted percutaneously across the distal fragment under fluoroscopic guidance to improve rotational and angular stability.
Procedure: Elastic Stable Intramedullary Nailing Supplemented by Kirschner Wires
Closed reduction will be performed under fluoroscopic guidance. Two appropriately sized titanium elastic nails will be inserted through medial and lateral entry points in the proximal tibial metaphysis and advanced across the fracture into the distal fragment. One or two supplementary Kirschner wires will then be inserted percutaneously across the distal fragment under fluoroscopic guidance to enhance rotational and angular stability.
Active Comparator: Plate Fixation
Participants assigned to this arm will undergo fixation with a distal tibial locking compression plate using a minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis technique or a limited open approach according to fracture characteristics. The plate will be positioned on the medial aspect of the tibia and fixed with appropriate locking and cortical screws under fluoroscopic guidance.
Procedure: Plate fixation
Following fracture reduction, fixation will be performed using a distal tibial locking compression plate through a minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis technique or a limited open approach according to fracture characteristics. The plate will be positioned on the medial aspect of the tibia and secured with appropriate locking and cortical screws under fluoroscopic guidance.

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
Time to Radiological Union
Time Frame: From surgery through 6 months
Time from surgery to radiographic evidence of fracture union as assessed on follow-up anteroposterior and lateral radiographs.
From surgery through 6 months
Fracture Union Rate
Time Frame: At 6 months
Proportion of participants demonstrating radiological fracture union during postoperative follow-up.
At 6 months

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
Coronal and Sagittal Alignment
Time Frame: At 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months
Radiographic assessment of coronal and sagittal alignment of the distal tibia during postoperative follow-up.
At 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months
AOFAS Ankle-Hindfoot Score
Time Frame: During postoperative follow-up through 6 months
Functional outcome assessed using the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Score. The total score ranges from 0 to 100 points, including pain, function, and alignment, with higher scores indicating better outcome.
During postoperative follow-up through 6 months
Lower Extremity Functional Scale
Time Frame: During postoperative follow-up through 6 months
Functional outcome assessed using the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), a patient-reported measure evaluating difficulty with daily activities such as walking, running, and climbing stairs. The maximum score is 80 points, with higher scores indicating better lower-extremity function.
During postoperative follow-up through 6 months
Treatment-Related Complication Rate
Time Frame: From surgery through 6 months
Proportion of participants experiencing treatment-related complications, including malunion, delayed union, nonunion, superficial infection, deep infection, implant irritation, implant failure, or reoperation.
From surgery through 6 months
Time to Full Weight-Bearing
Time Frame: From surgery through 6 months
Time from surgery until the participant is allowed to progress to full weight-bearing based on fracture stability and radiographic evidence of healing.
From surgery through 6 months

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.
Sohag University

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.
July 1, 2026

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.
June 30, 2027

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.
June 30, 2027

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).
August 20, 2026

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.
August 20, 2026

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.
August 24, 2026

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.
August 26, 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.
August 24, 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.
August 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.
  • SOH-MED-2026-001

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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