Humeral Shaft FracturePhase 3UNILOCHNCT05877014
Unipolar Versus Bipolar Interlocking in Humeral Shaft Fractures in Adults
A Phase 3 study testing questionnaires and scanner in people with Humeral Shaft Fracture, run by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon at 1 site in France.
Trial summary
Shaft fractures account for 20% of humeral fractures and 3% of all adult fractures in France, with an estimated incidence of 13 to 20/100,000 people. Men aged 21 to 30 years and women aged 60 to 80 years are particularly affected. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Humeral Shaft Fracture
- What is being tested?
- questionnaires and scanner
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 390 participants
- Where
- 1 siteFrance
- Study dates
- 3 Jul 2023to Sep 2027
- Phase
- Phase 3
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Patient with written consent
- Patient ≥18 years of age with a diagnosis of humeral shaft fracture (all types in the AO classification) requiring surgical treatment with intramedullary nailing
Who cannot join
- Person not affiliated to national health insurance
- Patient unable to attend all study visits
- Patient with a pathologic fracture
- Patient with a post-traumatic brachial plexus injury at the time of inclusion
- Patient under court protection, guardianship or legal guardianship
- Pregnant, parturient or breastfeeding woman
- Patient admitted for revision surgery of a humerus fracture (insufficient healing or complication)
- Patient with an acute or chronic, unstable or poorly controlled disease that may interfere with the evaluation of the study objective, as determined by the investigator.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
France1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Chu Dijon Bourgogne
Dijon, 21000
Pierre MARTZ, 0380293307 ext. +33, pierre.martz@chu-dijon.fr
About this study
Shaft fractures account for 20% of humeral fractures and 3% of all adult fractures in France, with an estimated incidence of 13 to 20/100,000 people. Men aged 21 to 30 years and women aged 60 to 80 years are particularly affected. Intramedullary nailing is among the standard treatments for humeral shaft fractures (when surgery is required). Once inserted, the nail is locked in order to limit stress on the fractured bone, as well as possible secondary rotational displacements or malunion. Bipolar interlocking (BI) is typically performed on both sides (proximal and distal) of the fracture site. This procedure is performed under radiological control, exposing the patient and care team to radiation (during the entire procedure). The objective of the treatment is to obtain consolidation of the fracture within 12 months, and to limit the occurrence of irreversible complications such as malunion or nonunion (2-10% at 12 months post-surgery). The "unipolar interlocking" (UI) technique has recently been introduced. In this technique, locking is performed only on the proximal side of the fracture site. By avoiding the distal approach, potential complications such as radial nerve damage, with the risk of irreversible paralysis (3.8-14.2% in studies of the BI technique in this indication) or the risk of infection on the distal side can be avoided. It also reduces operative time, and consequently the radiation received by patients and caregivers. However, the UI may be poorly positioned, resulting in malunion that requires revision surgery.
Despite the absence of recommendations due to the lack of existing data, several teams use the UI in routine care. In this context, a descriptive cohort of 121 patients operated on at the Dijon University Hospital5 showed similar rates of consolidation between the 2 techniques (93.8% for UI versus 95.2% for BI, p=0.64), functional scores, and complications, as well as a significant 29% decrease in operating time in the UI group (mean + SD: 63.1±21.3 min versus 88.0±30.1 min for VB, p<0.01). These encouraging results, although limited by the retrospective and observational nature of the data, justify a prospective randomized trial comparing these two techniques.
- Conditions
- Humeral Shaft Fracture
- Being tested
- questionnaires, scanner
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
questionnairesOther
EQ-5D-5L and SF-12
scannerOther
CT scan at M9 and then at M12 if the humerus is not consolidated at M6
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Unipolar interlocking group | Experimental | Not described Receives: Other: questionnaires; Other: scanner |
| Bipolar interlocking group | Active comparator | Not described Receives: Other: questionnaires; Other: scanner |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
The proportion of patients with radiologically assessed bone healing at 12 months
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 12 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted26 May 2023
- Study start3 Jul 2023
- Primary completionSep 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionSep 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Humeral Shaft FractureStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire DijonThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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 3
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 390 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05877014
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- MARTZ PHRCN 2021
- Acronym
- UNILOCH
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 17 May 2023
- Last updated
- 30 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 30 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Unipolar Versus Bipolar Interlocking in Humeral Shaft Fractures in Adults
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05877014
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- UNILOCH / MARTZ PHRCN 2021
- Conditions
- Humeral Shaft Fracture
- Phase
- Phase 3
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 390 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire DijonUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 3 Jul 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Sep 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Sep 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 26 May 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Shaft fractures account for 20% of humeral fractures and 3% of all adult fractures in France, with an estimated incidence of 13 to 20/100,000 people. Men aged 21 to 30 years and women aged 60 to 80 years are particularly affected. Intramedullary nailing is among the standard treatments for humeral shaft fractures (when surgery is required). Once inserted, the nail is locked in order to limit stress on the fractured bone, as well as possible secondary rotational displacements or malunion. Bipolar interlocking (BI) is typically performed on both sides (proximal and distal) of the fracture site. This procedure is performed under radiological control, exposing the patient and care team to radiation (during the entire procedure). The objective of the treatment is to obtain consolidation of the fracture within 12 months, and to limit the occurrence of irreversible complications such as malunion or nonunion (2-10% at 12 months post-surgery). The "unipolar interlocking" (UI) technique has recently been introduced. In this technique, locking is performed only on the proximal side of the fracture site. By avoiding the distal approach, potential complications such as radial nerve damage, with the risk of irreversible paralysis (3.8-14.2% in studies of the BI technique in this indication) or the risk of infection on the distal side can be avoided. It also reduces operative time, and consequently the radiation received by patients and caregivers. However, the UI may be poorly positioned, resulting in malunion that requires revision surgery.
Despite the absence of recommendations due to the lack of existing data, several teams use the UI in routine care. In this context, a descriptive cohort of 121 patients operated on at the Dijon University Hospital5 showed similar rates of consolidation between the 2 techniques (93.8% for UI versus 95.2% for BI, p=0.64), functional scores, and complications, as well as a significant 29% decrease in operating time in the UI group (mean + SD: 63.1±21.3 min versus 88.0±30.1 min for VB, p<0.01). These encouraging results, although limited by the retrospective and observational nature of the data, justify a prospective randomized trial comparing these two techniques.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Unipolar interlocking group | Experimental | Other: questionnaires, Other: scanner |
| Bipolar interlocking group | Active comparator | Other: questionnaires, Other: scanner |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Patient with written consent
- Patient ≥18 years of age with a diagnosis of humeral shaft fracture (all types in the AO classification) requiring surgical treatment with intramedullary nailing
Key exclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Person not affiliated to national health insurance
- Patient unable to attend all study visits
- Patient with a pathologic fracture
- Patient with a post-traumatic brachial plexus injury at the time of inclusion
- Patient under court protection, guardianship or legal guardianship
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| questionnairesEQ-5D-5L and SF-12 | Other | Bipolar interlocking group, Unipolar interlocking group |
| scannerCT scan at M9 and then at M12 if the humerus is not consolidated at M6 | Other | Bipolar interlocking group, Unipolar interlocking group |
Primary outcome
The proportion of patients with radiologically assessed bone healing at 12 months
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 12 months
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 30 Jul 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 3 study testing questionnaires and scanner in people with Humeral Shaft Fracture, run by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon at 1 site in France.
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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 30 Jul 2026. 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 France. 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.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Pierre MARTZ (0380293307 ext. +33, pierre.martz@chu-dijon.fr), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
The proportion of patients with radiologically assessed bone healing at 12 months (time frame: Through study completion, an average of 12 months). 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 30 Jul 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 8 Nov 2026.