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IbuprofenNCT01092676

Regular vs Intermittent Dose Ibuprofen for the Treatment of Ankle Sprains in Children

A study testing Ibuprofen Regular Dosing and PRN dosing Ibuprofen in people with Ibuprofen and Ankle Injuries, run by London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's at 1 site in Canada.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Ankle sprains are common in children, and optimal pain management has not been determined. We hypothesize that children age 7-17 years of age with acute ankle sprain randomized to receive regular dose ibuprofen will show a greater improvement in degree of pain,disability,swelling and tenderness four days following… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 7 to 17 years
Conditions the study is for
Ibuprofen, Ankle Injuries
What is being tested?
Ibuprofen Regular Dosing and PRN dosing Ibuprofen
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
100 participants
Where
1 siteCanada
Study dates
Feb 2010to Jun 2016
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 7 to 17 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • Ages 7-17 years who have suffered an isolated ankle sprain within the last 24 hours
  • Able to return for follow-up with research assistant in 4 days time

Who cannot join

  • Preexisting Metabolic bone disease
  • Bilateral ankle sprains
  • Fractured ankle as demonstrated on X-ray
  • Suspected Salter 1 fracture or syndesmosis injury
  • Other traumatic injuries
  • History of Gastric ulcers or renal disease
  • Known or suspected allergy/sensitivity to ibuprofen
  • Previous ankle sprain of affected ankle within last 6 months

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Canada1 site
  • London Health Sciences Centre

    London, Ontario, N6A 5W9

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Ankle sprains are common in children, and optimal pain management has not been determined.

We hypothesize that children age 7-17 years of age with acute ankle sprain randomized to receive regular dose ibuprofen will show a greater improvement in degree of pain,disability,swelling and tenderness four days following injury as compared to children who take ibuprofen only intermittently for pain relief during the same time period.

Read the detailed description

Acute ankle sprains are one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries in children and adolescents seeking medical attention. There are an estimated 2 million ankle injuries a year and they represent 20 percent of all sports injuries. Data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey in 2000 showed approximately 1.375 million visits to emergency departments (ED) in the US due to ankle sprains. This represented about 1.3% of all ED visits. The majority of these injuries occur in young athletes. One epidemiological study showed the prevalence of ankle sprains to be 73% in athletes.

The majority of ankle injuries do not involve bony fractures, rather they involve the soft tissue structures of the ankle joint. An ankle sprain is a stretching, partial or complete tear of the ligaments of the ankle. The most common type of ankle sprain is a lateral sprain, usually caused by an inversion injury. Ankle sprains can be classified as a grade I to III, depending on the severity of the injury. A grade I injury is a slight stretching of the ligament; whereas, a grade III sprain is a complete tear of the ligament.

Treatment of ankle sprains is aimed at decreasing the pain and swelling and protecting the ankle ligaments from further injury. The most commonly used acute management strategy includes the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) protocol. The pharmacologic treatment of ankle sprains however, remains somewhat unclear. Analgesia with acetaminophen was historically the treatment of choice. However, with the development of over the counter NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) agents, these have become increasingly popular for the treatment of ankle sprains. NSAIDS are a heterogeneous group of drugs that have analgesic, anti-pyretic, and anti-inflammatory effects. They have been used extensively in both adults and children, with ibuprofen being the most commonly used NSAID in North America. The theoretical advantage of the anti-inflammatory action, in addition to the excellent safety profile in children, has made ibuprofen the treatment of choice for musculoskeletal pain in this population.

Controlled trials in adults of various NSAIDS in ankle sprains have shown mixed results. Although they have shown a beneficial effect compared to placebo, they have not consistently shown a benefit over other analgesic choices. Nonetheless, The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommends that NSAIDs be used to control pain and inflammation in the treatment of acute ankle sprains.

There is very little evidence for the pharmacologic treatment of ankle sprains in children. A study completed at our centre involving 80 patients with acute ankle sprains showed no beneficial effect of naproxyn over acetaminophen in the treatment of pain. However, a study from Ottawa looking at pain relief in all types of musculoskeletal injury, showed a benefit of ibuprofen over both acetaminophen and codeine for pain control. Despite the scant evidence of the benefit of NSAIDS in pediatric ankle sprains, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that NSAIDS "can help reduce swelling and pain" in the treatment of ankle sprains.

There currently are no guidelines recommending a dosing schedule of ibuprofen for acute ankle sprains in children. Whether regularly dosed ibuprofen is beneficial versus as-needed dosing of NSAIDs, remains unclear. Interestingly, an unpublished informal survey of the pediatric emergency physicians at the Children's Hospital of Western Ontario, revealed universal recommendations of RICE therapy and the use of ibuprofen for the treatment of ankle sprains. However, the recommendations for ibuprofen dosing varied widely from as-needed to regular dosing.

The purpose of this study is to examine if regular dosed ibuprofen has an advantage over as-needed dosed ibuprofen in the treatment of acute ankle sprains in children.

Being tested
Ibuprofen Regular Dosing, PRN dosing Ibuprofen
Keywords
Pediatrics, Emergency
Medical subject headings
Ankle Injuries, Emergencies

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Ibuprofen Regular DosingDrug

    Regular dosing

  • PRN dosing IbuprofenDrug

    PRN dosing Ibupofen

Study groups in NCT01092676
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Regular Ibuprofen DosingActive comparatorRegular Ibuprofen Dosing throughout 4 days of study
Receives: Drug: Ibuprofen Regular Dosing
PRN Ibuprofen dosingActive comparatorAs needed Ibuprofen dosing
Receives: Drug: PRN dosing Ibuprofen

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in Visual Analog Scale (VAS) Pain on Weight Bearing From Baseline

    Change in Pain Scale 0-10 Visual Analog Scale with 0 being no pain and 10 being unbearable pain. Outcome is measured in mm as measured from 0 to where the participant places indicated their pain to be on the scale.

    Measured: 4 days

  2. Change in Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for Disability

    0-10 Visual Analog Scale with 0 being no disability and 10 being severe disability. Patients are asked to place a line on the VAS to where they believe their disability to be. The final outcome is then measured in mm from 0 to the line placed by the patient.

    Measured: 4 days

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted25 Mar 2010 (estimated)
  2. Study startFeb 2010
  3. Primary completionJun 2016
  4. Study completionJun 2016

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
100 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01092676
Sponsor's protocol ID
R-08-502
Other IDs
REB 15517
Status last verified
Nov 2019
First submitted
23 Mar 2010
Last updated
26 Nov 2019
Data monitoring committee
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Ibuprofen Regular Dosing and PRN dosing Ibuprofen in people with Ibuprofen and Ankle Injuries, run by London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's at 1 site in Canada.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 8 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 26 Nov 2019. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 26 Nov 2019). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Visual Analog Scale (VAS) Pain on Weight Bearing From Baseline (time frame: 4 days). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 26 Nov 2019.

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