Can virtual reality or a simple schedule change ease kids' fear during pin removal?
NCT ID NCT05501834
First seen Jun 30, 2026 · Last updated Jul 01, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at two ways to lower anxiety in children aged 3 to 10 who need surgical pins removed from an elbow fracture. One approach removes the pins right after the cast comes off, before an X-ray, instead of after. The other uses a virtual reality headset during the pin removal. Researchers will measure distress using a standard pain scale and heart rate, and also check if a parent's anxiety affects the child's response.
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 headset
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer simple, drug-free ways to reduce fear and distress in children during minor medical procedures.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study focused on anxiety, not on healing or safety of the fracture itself. Results may not apply to all children or procedures.
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
-
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
-
About 140 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Apr 2024
- Expected to finish
-
Oct 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
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
-
3 to 10 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
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: * Aged 3 to ≤10 years at time of surgery * Supracondylar humerus fractures that are laterally pinned at Boston Children's Hospital * Scheduled visit for pin removal at either Boston or Waltham orthopedic clinic by a study-participating physician * English speaking Exclusion Criteria: * Documented history of seizure disorders or other neurological disorders. * Patients unwilling to follow up in Boston or Waltham BCH clinic locations
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Anxiety are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
-
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
-
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Gut bacteria may hold clues to dozens of diseases
- VR headset may calm kids before heart procedure
- Could a whiff of xenon replace the Pre-Surgery chill pill?
- Can a pencil and paper calm anxious teens with diabetes?
- Can a tailored therapy ease anxiety and depression in autistic teens?
- When a Child's elbow fracture cuts off blood flow: do they need vascular surgery?