The tiny screw that could decide how well you walk after a heel fracture
NCT ID NCT07822698
First seen Sep 16, 2026 · Last updated Sep 17, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Calcaneal fractures are the most common tarsal bone fractures, and most involve the subtalar joint. Surgery with open reduction and internal fixation is standard for displaced fractures. During surgery, a screw is placed from the outer side of the heel bone toward the inner side to support the joint surface. This study compares two positions for the screw tip: directly in the sustentaculum tali (ST) or in the larger medial fragment (STF). Researchers will review X-rays and measure foot function, ankle function, and complications in about 92 adults treated at one hospital, following them for at least 12 months. The study does not assign the screw position; it observes what surgeons already did.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Screw tip position relative to the sustentaculum tali
- What this could lead to
- If one screw position works better, surgeons could adopt it as a standard step in heel fracture repair, potentially improving recovery for a common and disabling injury.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, not a randomized trial, so other factors could explain any differences between groups. The results may not apply to all patients or surgical techniques.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 92 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2028
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.
Who is studied
The study population consists of adults with intra-articular calcaneal fractures who underwent open reduction and internal fixation at Peking University Third Hospital. Retrospective cases will be identified from January 2015 to August 2026, and prospective cases will be enrolled from September 2026 onward. Participants will be classified into the ST or STF group according to screw tip position on postoperative lateral and axial X-rays. Approximately 92 participants are expected. No treatment is assigned by the study; all participants receive routine clinical care.
- Ages
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18 to 65 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: \- Adults aged ≥ 18 years. Diagnosis of intra-articular calcaneal fracture. Treated with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). Availability of postoperative lateral and axial X-rays for assessment of screw tip position. Complete medical records for retrospective data collection, or willingness to participate in prospective follow-up. Written informed consent for prospective participants; informed consent waived for retrospective participants as approved by the ethics committee. Exclusion Criteria: \- Pathological fractures. Open calcaneal fractures. Previous surgery on the affected calcaneus. Severe medical conditions that may affect follow-up or functional assessment. Inability to complete follow-up or functional questionnaires. Lack of adequate imaging or medical records for group allocation. Patients who declined to participate (for prospective cases).
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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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Peking University Third Hospital
Beijing, Beijing Municipality, 100191, China