Can a common bleeding drug prevent wound problems after ankle replacement?
NCT ID NCT07828262
First seen Sep 18, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026
Summary
Researchers are testing whether tranexamic acid, a drug used to reduce bleeding, can lower the risk of wound healing problems after total ankle replacement surgery. About 40 patients having ankle replacement will be randomly assigned to receive either tranexamic acid or a saltwater placebo during and after surgery. Neither the patients nor their doctors will know which treatment was given. The study will track wound healing, infections, and additional surgeries for six months to see if a larger trial is feasible and whether the drug might help recovery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- tranexamic acid, a drug that helps reduce bleeding
- What this could lead to
- If it works, tranexamic acid could become a routine addition to ankle replacement surgery to lower the risk of wound problems and repeat operations.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study of 40 people, so it may not show a clear benefit or may not be large enough to detect rare side effects. Tranexamic acid can cause allergic reactions or blood clots in some patients.
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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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Dec 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 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 years and older
- 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.
Inclusion Criteria: * Patient undergoing either primary or revision ankle replacement surgery * Patient is considered to benefit from surgical management at the treating surgeon's discretion * The patient is willing and able to provide written informed consent * The patient is willing and able to comply with post-operative rehabilitation protocols and all follow-up visits Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnant or breastfeeding patient * Uncontrolled diabetes (HgbA1C \> 8) * Known allergy or contraindication for tranexamic acid use including: presence of coronary stents, cerebrovascular event in the last six months, known thromboembolic disorder, hepatic dysfunction, impaired renal clearance, medications with known drug interactions\*\*\* * Lateral-based ankle replacement system * Patient receiving anticoagulation therapy * Investigator concerns about study compliance * Medically unfit for surgery or anesthetic * Acquired color vision problems that are not genetics * There are potential drug-drug interactions leading to myocardial infarction after coadministration of tranexamic acid with hormonal contraceptives, hydrochlorothiazide, desmopressin, sulbactam-ampicillin, carbazochrome, ranitidine, or nitroglycerin. Therefore, patients on these medications will be excluded.
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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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The Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus
Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y 4E9, Canada
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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