New study tests if metal plates beat wires for heart surgery recovery
NCT ID NCT06660186
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study compares two methods for closing the breastbone after open-heart surgery: rigid plate fixation (using a metal plate and screws) versus traditional wire cerclage (using stainless steel wires). The trial will enroll 250 adults at high risk for wound complications, such as those with diabetes, obesity, or steroid use. The goal is to see which technique leads to better bone healing and fewer complications like infections or wound separation.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Rigid Sternal Fixation (SternalPlate system) or Wire Cerclage
- What this could lead to
- If rigid plate fixation works better, it could reduce serious wound complications and improve recovery after open-heart surgery in high-risk patients.
- What could go wrong
- This is a single-center trial with 250 participants, so results may not apply to all patients. Both techniques are already used, so the difference may be small.
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 250 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2026
- 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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18 to 89 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Preoperative Inclusion Criteria * Adults (age range: 18-89) * Undergoing cardiac surgery through sternotomy -≥2 risk factors: * Diabetes mellitus * Severe COPD * Chronic steroid use * Immunosuppression * Redo sternotomy * Chronic * Kidney disease with GFR \>30 ml/min per 1.73m2 * Radiation therapy * BMI≥35 * High-risk of delirium * Heavy alcohol use Preoperative Exclusion Criteria * Active malignancy * Chronic narcotic use * NYHA Class IV * Known nickel metal allergy * Compliance concern * eGFR\<30 ml/min per 1.73m2 * Involvement in another interventional clinical trial (non-registry) * Any criteria precluding RPF or WC Operative Inclusion Criteria * Off-midline sternotomy * BITA grafting * CPB time ≥120 minutes * Transverse sternal fracture Operative Exclusion Criteria * Emergent or emergent salvage surgery * Non-standard sternotomies * Sternotomy with bony margin \<2 mm * Bleeding * Delayed sternal closure * Surgical complications * Any criteria precluding RPF or WC
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
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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University Hospitals
RECRUITINGCleveland, Ohio, 44106, United States
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