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Bone AnomaliesNCT07026188

Ultrasound Combined With SMI Imaging on Children With Limb Lengthening

An observational study of Bone Anomalies, run by Children's Hospital of Fudan University at 1 site in China.

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

In the present study, The use of ultrasound allows observation of new bone formation in the distraction gap, also visualize the formation of blood vessels in the distraction gap, including the velocity and resistance of blood vessels, and can also indicate the environment of new bone formation. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages Up to 18 years
Conditions the study is for
Bone Anomalies
What is being tested?
Ultrasound with SMI
How many people
63 participants
Where
1 siteChina
Study dates
25 Dec 2021to 31 Jan 2025
Phase
Observational
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 Up to 18 years
  • All sexes
  • Child, Adult

Study population: All are children who suffer limb length discrepancy and need limb-lengthening procedure; with no difference in sex, age or ethics.

Who may be able to join

  • All are children who suffer limb length discrepancy and need limb-lengthening procedure; with no difference in sex, age or ethics.

Who cannot join

  • Space of braces is smaller than the probes.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

China1 site
  • Children's Hospital of Fudan University

    Shanghai

Other trials in China

About this study

Official title: Clinical Evaluation of New Bone Formation During Limb Lengthening in Children by Ultrasound Combined With Superb Microvascular Imaging

In the present study, The use of ultrasound allows observation of new bone formation in the distraction gap, also visualize the formation of blood vessels in the distraction gap, including the velocity and resistance of blood vessels, and can also indicate the environment of new bone formation. It's considered that ultrasound detection of new bone and angiogenesis in the process of bone lengthening in children could be a good supplement to X-ray evaluation, and even partially replace the former, reducing the radiation burden of pediatric patients.

Read the detailed description

Limb lengthening is one of most common surgical techniques for correcting limb deformities in pediatric patients. The evaluation of new bone formation in the distraction gap is very important for the prognosis of limb lengthening. After limb lengthening, weekly or biweekly plain X-ray is the most commonly-used method to evaluate new bone formation in the distraction gap. However, Ordinary X-ray (film or digital) cannot provide details of regeneration or vascular regeneration like ultrasound examination, and radiation damage caused by X-ray or CT has unpredictable negative effects on minors. Ultrasound and X-ray examination were performed every 2 weeks during lengthening in 30 pediatric patients. Ultrasound was used to observe the formation of new bone, the number of vertical vessels and the blood flow resistance index, which were compared with the corresponding X-ray findings.New bone states could be divided by US into three stages: stage I (early lengthening): no obvious callus formation was found X-ray and ultrasound; stage II (lengthening stage): X-ray showed low density callus formation and uneven density, which was divided into three stages by ultrasound: IIa, punctate callus could be seen; IIb, linear callus was found, but not connected; IIc, connected linear callus was found; stage III (healing stage): the broken ends of the bone were joined, the periosteum was continuous, and the callus had disappeared. X-ray showed healing of the lengthened bone.

Conditions
Bone Anomalies
Being tested
Ultrasound with SMI

What participants receive

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

  • Ultrasound with SMIOther

    The use of ultrasound allows observation of new bone formation in the distraction gap, also visualize the formation of blood vessels in the distraction gap with SMI, including the velocity and resistance of blood vessels, and can also indicate the environment of new bone formation. All US examination were performed by one US doctor.

Study groups in NCT07026188
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Bone-lengthening in childrenChildren who undergo bone-lengthening were taken US examination timely, to evaluate the bone recovering by one US doctor.
Receives: Other: Ultrasound with SMI

What is being measured

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

  1. Gray scale of US in bone gap.

    New bone states were divided into three stages: stage I (early lengthening): no obvious callus formation was found X-ray and ultrasound; stage II (lengthening stage): X-ray showed low density callus formation and uneven density, which was divided into three stages by ultrasound: IIa, punctate callus could be seen; IIb, linear callus was found, but not connected; IIc, connected linear callus was found; stage III (healing stage): the broken ends of the bone were joined, the periosteum was continuous, and the callus had disappeared.

    Measured: From the first day of lengthening to the removal of the external fixator.(Approximately 6 months.)

  2. New vessels of bone gap.

    The number of vessels in the lengthening gap, assessed via ultrasound techniques like SMI, reflects the vertical vessels growing into the distraction gap. This metric offers insights into the microvascular environment and angiogenesis of the new bone, aiding in evaluating healing progress and guiding lengthening protocol adjustments.

    Measured: From the first day of lengthening to the removal of the external fixator.(Approximately 6 months.)

  3. Resistance index of new vessles.

    The resistance index of new vessels, measured using ultrasound techniques like SMI, assesses blood flow resistance in the newly formed vessels within the lengthening gap.

    Measured: From the first day of lengthening to the removal of the external fixator.(Approximately 6 months.)

  4. Healing index

    The healing index, calculated as healing time in months divided by lengthening distance in centimeters, serves as an objective indicator of limb lengthening prognosis. A smaller healing index signifies a faster healing rate.

    Measured: From the first day of lengthening to 2 months after the removal of the external fixator.(Approximately 8 months.)

Timeline

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

  1. First posted18 Jun 2025
  2. Study start25 Dec 2021
  3. Primary completion1 Jun 2024
  4. Study completion31 Jan 2025

Resources

More details

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

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
63 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07026188
Sponsor's protocol ID
ningbo1425
Status last verified
Jun 2025
First submitted
19 Feb 2025
Last updated
18 Jun 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Bone Anomalies, run by Children's Hospital of Fudan University at 1 site in China.

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 1 inclusion and 1 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 18 Jun 2025. 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 China. 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?

Gray scale of US in bone gap. (time frame: From the first day of lengthening to the removal of the external fixator.(Approximately 6 months.)). The study lists 4 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 18 Jun 2025.

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