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Tendon DisorderNCT04204369

A Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Course for Orthopedic Surgery Residents

A study testing Ultrasound education curriculum in people with Tendon Disorder, run by Université de Sherbrooke 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

A group of orthopedic surgery residents underwent a structured online and practical musculoskeletal ultrasound course. Their proficiency on a written and practical exam, as well as frequency and comfort when using was recorded prior to the course, immediately after, and 6 months after the course. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Tendon Disorder
What is being tested?
Ultrasound education curriculum
Type of treatment
Injection or infusion
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
10 participants
Where
1 siteCanada
Study dates
6 Nov 2017to 6 Jul 2018
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

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 Any age
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Be an orthopedic surgery resident
  • Training at the University of Manitoba
  • Post-graduate year (PGY) one to five

Who cannot join

  • Residents having less than six months of training left before graduation
  • Residents on extended leave (for example: completing graduate studies abroad, parental leave, and sabbatical)

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Canada1 site
  • University of Manitoba

    Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3A1R9

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Official title: Usefulness of a Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Course in an Orthopedic Surgery Residency Training Program

A group of orthopedic surgery residents underwent a structured online and practical musculoskeletal ultrasound course. Their proficiency on a written and practical exam, as well as frequency and comfort when using was recorded prior to the course, immediately after, and 6 months after the course.

Read the detailed description

Musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSK-US) can have many uses for orthopedic surgeons, such as assisting in clinical diagnosis for muscle, tendon and ligament injuries, providing direct guidance for joint injections, or assessing the adequacy of a reduction in the emergency department. However, proficiency in sonography is not a requirement for certification in orthopedic surgery in Canada, and orthopedic trainees are rarely exposed to the subject. This project aims assess the usefulness in clinical education of a newly implemented MSK-US course in an orthopedic surgery program.

An MSK-US course for orthopedic surgery residents has been developed. An online survey covering the level of training of the resident, their prior experience with ultrasound (number of times used by month) and their comfort level with different parts of the examination (numeric analog scale - NAS), was filled by the participants prior to the course. A pre-course written and practical test was also given to the residents. Following the course, the participants were reassessed with the same tests and surveys on the same day as the course, and at 6 months post. Change in frequency of use, comfort level and test scores were assessed using a Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA and post-hoc Wilcoxon tests.

It was expected that residents' frequency of use, comfort level and tests scores would improve following the implementation of the course. The results were expected to be maintained at the 6 months endpoint.

Conditions
Tendon Disorder
Being tested
Ultrasound education curriculum
Keywords
point of care ultrasound, musculoskeletal ultrasound, sonography, resident education, orthopaedic surgery, online curriculum
Medical subject headings
Tendinopathy

What participants receive

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

  • Ultrasound education curriculumOther

    Participants were enrolled in a musculoskeletal ultrasound course including 2 components:

    • An online course (1-2 hours) to be done before the practical session. The videos were made available one (1) month prior to the practical course. This component reviewed the basics of ultrasonography, as well as the normal and abnormal appearance of relevant musculoskeletal structures (bone, tendon, ligaments, muscles, bursas, and nerves), and the ultrasound anatomy of high yield regions of the musculoskeletal system (shoulder, elbow, knee, ankle)
    • A practical session (4-6 hours) done during one of the usual academic days of the orthopedic residency program. This session covered the use of the ultrasound; the examination of the shoulder, elbow, knee, and ankle; ultrasound-guided musculoskeletal injections and aspirations; and ultrasound-guided distal radius fracture reductions. Ample practice time was given to the residents using means such as phantom models, cadavers, and real patients.
Study groups in NCT04204369
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Teaching armExperimentalThis group received the teaching intervention and was evaluated before and after the intervention. Improvement was compared to their performance prior to the intervention.
Receives: Other: Ultrasound education curriculum

What is being measured

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

  1. Change in Musculoskeletal ultrasound knowledge after the course

    A 13 questions written examination was given to the residents using an online platform at each endpoint. The exam covered the basics of ultrasound physics; how to use the machine; the normal and pathologic appearance of tendons, ligaments, and muscles; and ultrasound appearance of the musculoskeletal anatomy described in the course. The score was reported on a scale from 0 to 100, with 100 being the best score.

    Measured: Before the course (within a month), immediately after the course (same day)

  2. Change in Musculoskeletal ultrasound knowledge at 6 months

    A 13 questions written examination was given to the residents using an online platform at each endpoint. The exam covered the basics of ultrasound physics; how to use the machine; the normal and pathologic appearance of tendons, ligaments, and muscles; and ultrasound appearance of the musculoskeletal anatomy described in the course. The score was reported on a scale from 0 to 100, with 100 being the best score.

    Measured: Before the course (within a month), 6 months after the course

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Practical shoulder ultrasound exam

    Each participant underwent a practical examination assessing ultrasound proficiency at each endpoint. The residents were assessed by one of the author of the study on their ability to perform a shoulder ultrasound exam as well as the different tasks related to the MSK-US. For each task, the assessor rated the participant on a scale of 0 to 2, where :

    • 0 means an inability to perform the task,
    • 1 means the task is only partially completed,
    • 2 means that the task that is performed correctly.

    The final score was then be calculated and reported in percentage (with 100 being a perfect score) for the analysis.

    Measured: Immediately after the course (same day), 6 months after the course

  2. Ultrasound comfort in clinical setting

    A questionnaire covering different aspect of ultrasound use by the residents was given using the online platform at each endpoint. The questionnaire inquired about the comfort level when using MSK-US for different examinations and procedure (Numeric Analog Scale from 0 to 10, with 0 being very uncomfortable and 10 being very comfortable). Each numeric analog scale was reported independently and not compound score was created:

    • Setting up the ultrasound machine
    • Choosing the appropriate probe
    • Adjusting the depth and contrast
    • Diagnosing a ligament, tendon, muscle, nerve, or bone injury
    • Performing a joint injection or aspiration
    • Performing an injection or aspiration in any other region than a joint
    • Guiding the reduction of a fracture in the forearm
    • Guiding the reduction of any other fracture than the forearm
    • Performing ultrasound in general

    Measured: Before the course (within a month), 6 months after the course

  3. Ultrasound use in clinical setting

    The questionnaire inquired about the number of time ultrasound was used in the last 6 months for different examinations and procedures. This was reported as an absolute number for each aspect of ultrasound use:

    • Diagnosing a ligament, tendon, muscle, nerve, or bone injury
    • Performing a joint injection or aspiration
    • Performing an injection or aspiration of any other region than a joint
    • Guiding the reduction of a fracture in the adult patient
    • Guiding the reduction of a pediatric fracture

    Measured: Before the course (within a month), 6 months after the course

Timeline

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

  1. First posted19 Dec 2019
  2. Study start6 Nov 2017
  3. Primary completion6 Jul 2018
  4. Study completion6 Jul 2018

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
Other
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Model description
One group receiving intervention. Assessement prior to intervention, immediately after, and at 6 months.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
10 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04204369
Sponsor's protocol ID
H2017:227 (HS20921)
Status last verified
Dec 2019
First submitted
15 Dec 2019
Last updated
19 Dec 2019
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: IPD will not be shared to other researcher. Because of the small size of the orthopedic surgery program, sharing IPD would make identification of individuals unavoidable.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Ultrasound education curriculum in people with Tendon Disorder, run by Université de Sherbrooke 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 3 inclusion and 2 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 19 Dec 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?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

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 Musculoskeletal ultrasound knowledge after the course (time frame: Before the course (within a month), immediately after the course (same day)). 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 19 Dec 2019.

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