Randomized, Prospective Comparison of Two Femoral Reaming Systems (RIA)

November 23, 2013 updated by: University of Alabama at Birmingham
The purpose of this study is to compare the quantity of fat that is released into the venous system (blood) by reaming the femoral canal during intramedullary nailing of the femur using two different reaming systems.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

Twenty patients who meet criteria for inclusion in this study will be assigned to one of two groups by means of a computer-generated random number. Group A will consist of 10 patients who undergo reaming with the Synthes reamer-irrigator-aspirator (RIA). Group B will consist of 10 patients who undergo conventional reaming with the Zimmer Sentinel reamer.

The patient will be transported to the operating room and will undergo general anesthesia. After correct positioning of the patient on the radiolucent table, baseline data will be collected. This data will consist of a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) and arterial blood gas.

A standard lateral approach to the proximal femur will be utilized. The starting point will be identified using a guide pin and fluoroscopy using standard technique. Though the resident may perform the approach, the attending surgeon will perform the case from the opening of the canal with a drill through the completion of reaming. A TEE will be recorded from the time the initial reamer engages the cortex until it is removed from the bone. A guide wire will be passed across the fracture site and its position confirmed by fluoroscopic imaging. The femoral canal will be reamed using either a conventional reaming technique or the RIA device.

For conventional reaming, successive reamers will be used beginning with an 8mm end-cutting reamer and increasing by 1.0 mm increments until cortical "chatter" is detected, then reaming will proceed at 0.5 mm increments for two passes. This is the standard practice using current technology. A Synthes titanium nail of the appropriate length which is 1.0 - 1.5mm less than the last reaming will be chosen for implantation. TEE will be monitored during the pass of the first reamer and the last.

For reaming with the RIA, a reamer-irrigator-aspirator of the appropriate size based on pre-operative evaluation of the femoral canal size will be used to perform a single pass down the femoral canal. A Synthes titanium femoral nail of the appropriate length will be selected for implantation. TEE will be recorded during the reaming. An arterial blood gas will be sent after positioning of the patient, when the guide wire is passed down the femoral canal and after the proximal locking screws are placed.

Proximal and distal locking screws will be placed in standard fashion. Wound closure and post-operative care will be according to standard protocols.

The TEE will be evaluated in a blinded manner by two anesthesiology attendings certified to use and evaluate the TEE. A grading system of 1 through 5 will be used, with 1 representing little to no fat emboli and 5 representative of a large number of fat emboli. This data will be forwarded to the principal investigator and used to fill the appropriate data sheet.

Outpatient follow-up will be performed in the usual manner, with sutures/staples being removed at approximately 2 weeks, and radiographs being obtained at 6 and 12 weeks as the attending physician deems clinically necessary. Follow-up for both limbs of the study will be the same as patients not in the study who undergo femoral nailing.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

20

Phase

  • 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

    • Alabama
      • Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35294
        • The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Orthopaedic Trauma

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

Ages Eligible for Study

15 years to 46 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • injuries include isolated or multiple trauma which includes a femur fracture requiring operative fixation using an intramedullary nail using antegrade approach
  • Adult patients ages 19-50 years old

Exclusion Criteria:

  • pathologic fractures
  • femoral deformities which would preclude intramedullary nailing
  • pregnancy
  • previous ipsilateral femoral nailing
  • pediatric femoral fractures (<19 years old)

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
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: 1, A
Femoral reaming with the Synthes Reamer-Irrigator-Aspirator (RIA)
A standard lateral approach to the proximal femur will be utilized. The starting point will be identified using a guide pin and fluoroscopy using standard technique. The attending surgeon will perform the case from the opening of the canal with a drill through the completion of reaming. A transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) will be recorded from the time the initial reamer engages the cortex until it is removed from the bone. A guide wire will be passed across the fracture site and its position confirmed by fluoroscopic imaging. The femoral canal will be reamed using the RIA device.
Other Names:
  • Reamer-Irrigator-Aspirator, Synthes
Active Comparator: 2 B
Femoral reaming with a Zimmer Sentinel Reamer.
A standard lateral approach to the proximal femur will be utilized. The starting point will be identified using a guide pin and fluoroscopy using standard technique. The attending surgeon will perform the case from the opening of the canal with a drill through the completion of reaming. A transesophageal echocardiogram TEE will be recorded from the time the initial reamer engages the cortex until it is removed from the bone. A guide wire will be passed across the fracture site and its position confirmed by fluoroscopic imaging. The femoral canal will be reamed using either a conventional reaming technique or the RIA device.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Determine which of 2 femoral reamers is best for patients.
Time Frame: Surgery: 2-3 hours; Follow-up: 3-6 months
Surgery: 2-3 hours; Follow-up: 3-6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Collaborators

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: David A Volgas, MD, The University of Alabama at Birmingham

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

January 1, 2007

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2007

Study Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2007

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 21, 2007

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 2, 2008

First Posted (Estimate)

January 15, 2008

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

November 26, 2013

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 23, 2013

Last Verified

November 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

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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