MRI Assessment of Cartilage Damage in Tibial Nailing
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A pilot randomised prospective comparison of two approaches for tibial nailing using clinical and novel imaging outcome measures.
IRAS ID
265185
Contact name
Andrew Carrothers
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 0 days
Research summary
Fractures of the tibia (shin bone) are frequently treated with a metal nail that is passed down the inside of the bone (an intra-medullary nail). This nail is inserted through the top of the tibia at the level of the knee joint. There are two ways for the nail to be inserted - either through an incision below the patella (kneecap) or above the patella.
The benefit of the incision above the patella is that it can make it technically easier to insert the nail into the correct position. However, the perceived risk of damage to the knee cartilage has prevented this technique from being widely adopted.
We will use MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scanning to assess the cartilage for damage using both techniques. The results will enable us to determine if the theoretical risk of cartilage damage is found in real-world scenarios and to generate data for further, larger studies.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/EE/0178
Date of REC Opinion
11 Sep 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion