Metal plate vs elastic nail: which heals teen forearm breaks better?
NCT ID NCT07705347
First seen Jul 15, 2026 · Last updated Jul 16, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial compares two surgical techniques for fixing forearm fractures in adolescents aged 10 to 16. One group receives a locking compression mini-plate, while the other gets titanium elastic nails. The study measures how well the bones heal and how well the arm functions afterward, aiming to find which method leads to better recovery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- surgical procedure: open reduction with locking compression mini-plate or closed reduction with titanium elastic nail
- What this could lead to
- If one method proves better, it could guide surgeons toward a standard approach that improves healing and function for teens with forearm fractures.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 20 participants, so results may not apply to all teens or fracture types. Both procedures carry typical surgical risks like infection or nerve damage.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 20 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jul 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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10 to 16 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age: 10 to 16 years (at time of injury). 2. Fracture pattern: diaphyseal fracture involving both the radius or ulna. o Fracture location: Diaphysis defined as the segment between the proximal metaphyseal flare (distal to bicipital tuberosity for radius; distal to coronoid process for ulna) and the distal metaphyseal flare (within 3 cm of the distal physis). 3. Indication for surgery: Failure of closed reduction or unacceptable alignment after attempted closed reduction, defined as: * Angulation \> 15° in any plane (sagittal or frontal). * Translation \> 50% of bone diameter. * Bayonet apposition. * Open fracture (Gustilo type I). * Inability to maintain acceptable reduction after cast immobilization (loss of reduction). 4. Skeletal maturity: Open or partially open distal radial physis (assessed on preoperative radiographs). Exclusion Criteria: 1. Open fracture Gustilo type II \& III. 2. Pathological fracture (secondary to bone cyst, tumor, osteogenesis imperfecta, etc.). 3. Neurovascular compromise requiring emergent exploration (e.g., acute compartment syndrome, pulseless limb after reduction). 4. Floating elbow (ipsilateral supracondylar humerus fracture + forearm fracture). 5. Monteggia or Galeazzi fracture-dislocation patterns 6. Metabolic bone disease (e.g., rickets, osteomalacia, renal osteodystrophy). 7. Neuromuscular disorder affecting upper extremity function (e.g., cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, brachial plexus injury). 8. Active infection at surgical site or systemic infection.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Faculty of medicine, Sohag university
Sohag, Egypt
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