Nail Bed InjuryNCT07388823
Nailbed Repair for Patients With Nailbed Injuries
A study testing Nail Bed Repair and Nail bed dressing in people with Nail Bed Injury and Nail Laceration, run by Stanford University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study compares the outcomes of fixing nail bed injuries with nail bed repair versus irrigation and dressing alone. The main question this study aims to answer is "Does nail bed repair after nail bed injury lead to better outcomes?" Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 2 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Nail Bed Injury, Nail Laceration, Nail Plate Disruption
- What is being tested?
- Nail Bed Repair and Nail bed dressing
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 100 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Jun 2026to 31 Oct 2030
- Phase
- Interventional
- 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 2 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- patients 2+ years of age
- presenting with disruption of nail plate or laceration adjacent to nail which appears that it may extend into the nail matrix OR subungual hematoma >50% of nail
- presenting within 3 days of acute injury
Who cannot join
- missing (e.g. avulsed) nail bed or segment of nail bed,
- prior injury to affected nail
- need for surgical treatment of injury (e.g. underlying operative fracture)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Stanford University
Palo Alto, California, 94305
Anna Luan, MD
Rachel Roller, MD
About this study
Official title: Nail Bed Repair RCT
This study compares the outcomes of fixing nail bed injuries with nail bed repair versus irrigation and dressing alone. The main question this study aims to answer is "Does nail bed repair after nail bed injury lead to better outcomes?"
Read the detailed description
This study compares two treatment methods for patients with nail bed injuries. The first method is irrigation and dressing. The second method is nail bed repair. Patients will be randomized into one of the two groups and outcomes will be documented in both groups.
- Conditions
- Nail Bed Injury, Nail Laceration, Nail Plate Disruption
- Being tested
- Nail Bed Repair, Nail bed dressing
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Nail Bed RepairOther
- Block involved digit with 3cc 1% lidocaine injected subcutaneously over volar and dorsal metacarpophalangeal joint
- Apply tourniquet to base of finger if desired
- Remove nail using freer/hemostats
- Irrigate wound with at least 500cc normal saline
- Repair nail bed laceration with 5-0 chromic or monocryl suture
- Stent eponychium with native nail or fashion substitute from foil suture packet and secure with 2 sutures
- Dress finger with bacitracin, xeroform, and 2" kling wrap
- Splint finger as needed with alumifoam splint (apply splint to volar side of finger so as to avoid pressure to nail bed)
- Repair any other lacerations as needed
Nail bed dressingOther
- If there is a subungual hematoma >50% of the nail, trephinate the nail plate using an 18G needle
- Irrigate wound with at least 500cc normal saline
- Dress finger with bacitracin, xeroform, and 2" kling wrap
- Splint finger as needed with alumifoam splint (apply splint to volar side of finger so as to avoid pressure to nail bed)
- Repair any other lacerations as needed
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| No nail bed repair (Irrigation and Dressing) | Active comparator | Patients in this arm will receive the following treatment protocol:
1. If there is a subungual hematoma >50% of the nail, trephinate the nail plate using an 18G needle
2. Irrigate wound with at least 500cc normal saline
3. Dress finger with bacitracin, Adaptic or xeroform, and 2" kling wrap
4. Splint finger as needed with alumifoam splint (apply splint to volar side of finger so as to avoid pressure to nail bed)
5. Repair any other lacerations as needed
6. Discharge on Keflex x7d with referral for followup in hand clinic in 1-2 weeks Receives: Other: Nail bed dressing |
| Nail bed repair | Experimental | Patients in this arm will receive the following treatment protocol:
1. Block involved digit with 3cc 1% lidocaine injected subcutaneously over volar and dorsal metacarpophalangeal joint
2. Apply tourniquet to base of finger if desired
3. Remove nail using freer/hemostats
4. Irrigate wound with at least 500cc normal saline
5. Repair nail bed laceration with 5-0 chromic or monocryl suture
6. Fashion substitute nail from foil suture packet, stent eponychium, and secure with 2 absorbable sutures
7. Dress finger with bacitracin, Adaptic or xeroform, and 2" kling wrap
8. Splint finger as needed with alumifoam splint (apply splint to volar side of finger so as to avoid pressure to nail bed)
9. Repair any other lacerations as needed
10. Discharge on Keflex x7d with referral for followup in hand clinic in 1-2 weeks Receives: Other: Nail Bed Repair |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Oxford Nail Score
The Oxford Nail Score assess five cosmetic components marked as binary outcomes composed of nail shape, nail adherence, eponychial appearance, nail surface appearance and presence of a split. The final score is 0-5, where 0 is "least optimal appearance" and 5 is "most optimal appearance."
Measured: From time of treatment, outcomes will be measured at 1-2 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years
Secondary outcomes (4)
Subjective Cosmesis
Patients will self-score their cosmesis on a 5-point Likert scale, from "excellent" to "very poor"
Measured: 1-2 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years
NRS Pain score
Patients will rate their nailbed on a 0-10 scale, where 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain imaginable.
Measured: 1-2 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years
Nail regrowth
Nail regrowth will be documented on a binary scale (yes or no) by an evaulator via photo.
Measured: 1-2 weeks, 6 weeks, 1 year, 2 years
Evidence of infection
Evidence of infection will be evaluated on a binary scale (yes or no) by an evaluator via photo.
Measured: 1-2 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted5 Feb 2026
- Study start1 Jun 2026
- Primary completion31 Oct 2030 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Oct 2030 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (3)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Nail Bed InjuryStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Stanford UniversityThe 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 N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Stanford University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Anna Luan, Stanford University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07388823
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 82680
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 28 Jan 2026
- Last updated
- 20 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: We do not have plans to share this data set.
Publications
Zook EG, Guy RJ, Russell RC. A study of nail bed injuries: causes, treatment, and prognosis. J Hand Surg Am. 1984 Mar;9(2):247-52. doi: 10.1016/s0363-5023(84)80153-7.
PubMed 6715836Ashbell TS, Kleinert HE, Putcha SM, Kutz JE. The deformed finger nail, a frequent result of failure to repair nail bed injuries. J Trauma. 1967 Mar;7(2):177-90. doi: 10.1097/00005373-196703000-00001. No abstract available.
PubMed 5335262Rao V, Akiki RK, Crozier JW, Bhatt RA, Schmidt ST, Kalliainen LK. Rethinking the Need for Nail Plate Removal: A Comparison of the Risks Between Standard Nail Bed Repair and Nonoperative Management. Ann Plast Surg. 2022 May 1;88(3 Suppl 3):S209-S213. doi: 10.1097/SAP.0000000000003197.
PubMed 35513322
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 20 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Nail Bed Repair RCT
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07388823
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 82680
- Conditions
- Nail Bed Injury, Nail Laceration, Nail Plate Disruption
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Stanford UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jun 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Oct 2030 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Oct 2030 (estimated)
- First posted
- 5 Feb 2026 (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.
This study compares the outcomes of fixing nail bed injuries with nail bed repair versus irrigation and dressing alone. The main question this study aims to answer is "Does nail bed repair after nail bed injury lead to better outcomes?"
Detailed description
This study compares two treatment methods for patients with nail bed injuries. The first method is irrigation and dressing. The second method is nail bed repair. Patients will be randomized into one of the two groups and outcomes will be documented in both groups.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| No nail bed repair (Irrigation and Dressing) | Active comparator | Other: Nail bed dressingPatients in this arm will receive the following treatment protocol: 1. If there is a subungual hematoma >50% of the nail, trephinate the nail plate using an 18G needle 2. Irrigate wound with at least 500cc normal saline 3. Dress finger with bacitracin, Adaptic or xeroform, and 2" kling wrap 4. Splint finger as needed with alumifoam splint (apply splint to volar side of finger so as to avoid pressure to nail bed) 5. Repair any other lacerations as needed 6. Discharge on Keflex x7d with referral for followup in hand clinic in 1-2 weeks |
| Nail bed repair | Experimental | Other: Nail Bed RepairPatients in this arm will receive the following treatment protocol: 1. Block involved digit with 3cc 1% lidocaine injected subcutaneously over volar and dorsal metacarpophalangeal joint 2. Apply tourniquet to base of finger if desired 3. Remove nail using freer/hemostats 4. Irrigate wound with at least 500cc normal saline 5. Repair nail bed laceration with 5-0 chromic or monocryl suture 6. Fashion substitute nail from foil suture packet, stent eponychium, and secure with 2 absorbable sutures 7. Dress finger with bacitracin, Adaptic or xeroform, and 2" kling wrap 8. Splint finger as needed with alumifoam splint (apply splint to volar side of finger so as to avoid pressure to nail bed) 9. Repair any other lacerations as needed 10. Discharge on Keflex x7d with referral for followup in hand clinic in 1-2 weeks |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 2 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- patients 2+ years of age
- presenting with disruption of nail plate or laceration adjacent to nail which appears that it may extend into the nail matrix OR subungual hematoma >50% of nail
- presenting within 3 days of acute injury
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- missing (e.g. avulsed) nail bed or segment of nail bed,
- prior injury to affected nail
- need for surgical treatment of injury (e.g. underlying operative fracture)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Nail Bed Repair1. Block involved digit with 3cc 1% lidocaine injected subcutaneously over volar and dorsal metacarpophalangeal joint 2. Apply tourniquet to base of finger if desired 3. Remove nail using freer/hemostats 4. Irrigate wound with at least 500cc normal saline 5. Repair nail bed laceration with 5-0 chromic or monocryl suture 6. Stent eponychium with native nail or fashion substitute from foil suture packet and secure with 2 sutures 7. Dress finger with bacitracin, xeroform, and 2" kling wrap 8. Splint finger as needed with alumifoam splint (apply splint to volar side of finger so as to avoid pressure to nail bed) 9. Repair any other lacerations as needed | Other | Nail bed repair |
| Nail bed dressing1. If there is a subungual hematoma >50% of the nail, trephinate the nail plate using an 18G needle 2. Irrigate wound with at least 500cc normal saline 3. Dress finger with bacitracin, xeroform, and 2" kling wrap 4. Splint finger as needed with alumifoam splint (apply splint to volar side of finger so as to avoid pressure to nail bed) 5. Repair any other lacerations as needed | Other | No nail bed repair (Irrigation and Dressing) |
Primary outcome
Oxford Nail Score
Time frame: From time of treatment, outcomes will be measured at 1-2 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years
The Oxford Nail Score assess five cosmetic components marked as binary outcomes composed of nail shape, nail adherence, eponychial appearance, nail surface appearance and presence of a split. The final score is 0-5, where 0 is "least optimal appearance" and 5 is "most optimal appearance."
4 secondary outcomes
Subjective Cosmesis
Time frame: 1-2 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years
NRS Pain score
Time frame: 1-2 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years
Nail regrowth
Time frame: 1-2 weeks, 6 weeks, 1 year, 2 years
Evidence of infection
Time frame: 1-2 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years
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 20 Jul 2026.
- Background: PubMed 6715836Zook EG, Guy RJ, Russell RC. A study of nail bed injuries: causes, treatment, and prognosis. J Hand Surg Am. 1984 Mar;9(2):247-52. doi: 10.1016/s0363-5023(84)80153-7.
- Background: PubMed 5335262Ashbell TS, Kleinert HE, Putcha SM, Kutz JE. The deformed finger nail, a frequent result of failure to repair nail bed injuries. J Trauma. 1967 Mar;7(2):177-90. doi: 10.1097/00005373-196703000-00001. No abstract available.
- Background: PubMed 35513322Rao V, Akiki RK, Crozier JW, Bhatt RA, Schmidt ST, Kalliainen LK. Rethinking the Need for Nail Plate Removal: A Comparison of the Risks Between Standard Nail Bed Repair and Nonoperative Management. Ann Plast Surg. 2022 May 1;88(3 Suppl 3):S209-S213. doi: 10.1097/SAP.0000000000003197.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. We do not have plans to share this data set.
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 study testing Nail Bed Repair and Nail bed dressing in people with Nail Bed Injury and Nail Laceration, run by Stanford University at 1 site in United States.
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 3 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 20 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 United States. 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?
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 Sara Kemper (650 725 7897, sara.kemper@stanford.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Oxford Nail Score (time frame: From time of treatment, outcomes will be measured at 1-2 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07388823, which also lists 3 linked publications.
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 20 Jul 2026.