Virtual reality could replace painkillers for fracture patients
NCT ID NCT06624969
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This Mayo Clinic study tests whether using a virtual reality (VR) headset can reduce pain and the need for opioid painkillers in 100 adults hospitalized with a broken bone. Participants will use a VR program while in the hospital, and researchers will track their pain medication use, length of stay, and overall experience. The goal is to see if VR is a practical, drug-free option for managing acute orthopedic pain.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- virtual reality program
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a drug-free way to manage pain and reduce opioid use for people with broken bones.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early feasibility study, not a large trial. VR may not work for everyone, and some people may get motion sickness or find the headset uncomfortable.
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 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Apr 2026
- 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.
- 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.
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. Hospitalized with an orthopedic fracture 2. Able to participate fully in all aspects of the study 3. Able to understand and sign informed consent 4. Individuals with unaided vision or those who can correct their vision using contact lenses Exclusion Criteria: 5. Non-English speaking 6. Self-reported history of acute and/or chronic severe motion sickness 7. The presence of a facial/head deformity that will prohibit the wearing of a VR head mounted display. 8. Legally blind or deaf 9. Have had a seizure within the past 1 year 10. Have current (within the past 30 days) clinically significant acute or chronic progressive or unstable/uncontrolled neurologic disorder 11. Have a known history of any condition or factor judged by the investigator to preclude participation in the study or which might hinder adherence
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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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Mayo Clinic Hospital
RECRUITINGJacksonville, Florida, 32224, United States
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