Clinical Research Directory

A Clinical Trial on the Use of Lidocaine Infusion During Surgery for Pediatric Upper Extremity Fractures and Its Impact on Total Perioperative Opioid Requirements

This study is a prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial evaluating whether intraoperative intravenous lidocaine infusion (IVLI) reduces opioid requirements and improves postoperative pain control in children undergoing surgical fixation of upper extremity long bone fractures under general anesthesia. Ninety pediatric patients, ages 3-18 will be enrolled and randomized 1:1 to receive either IV lidocaine or placebo (normal saline) during surgery. All participants will receive standardized anesthesia care and postoperative pain management. Opioid consumption and pain scores will be measured intraoperatively and throughout the postoperative recovery, with the primary outcome focused on total opioid use 60 minutes after arrival to the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). Secondary outcomes include opioid use at additional time points, postoperative pain scores, PACU length of stay, rescue antiemetic use and the relationship between infusion duration and outcomes. Patients will be closely monitored for signs of local anesthetic systemic toxicity and other adverse events. The goal of this study is to determine whether IV lidocaine is an effective opioid-sparing adjunct in pediatric orthopedic surgery and to support safer, multimodal analgesia strategies.

Distal Radius Interventions for Fracture Treatment

This protocol describes a multicenter, prospective randomized superiority trial with a patient preference cohort comparing functional outcomes between children treated with sedated reduction versus no formal reduction.

Evaluating a Novel Rehabilitation Chatbot: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial for Distal Radius Fracture Recovery

This study is a single-center pilot randomized controlled trial evaluating a rehabilitation chatbot, "Wrist Health," for elderly patients (60-90 years) recovering from conservatively treated distal radius fractures in Hong Kong. The trial compares conventional hospital-based rehabilitation plus a conventional home program with the same conventional rehabilitation supplemented by the chatbot, which delivers home exercises, education, reminders, and real-time usage tracking. Participants are randomized 1:1, followed for 12 weeks, and assessed at baseline, week 6, and week 12 using functional measures (range of motion, grip and pinch strength, PRWE), satisfaction, quality of life (EQ-5D-5L), adherence, feasibility metrics, and Technology Acceptance Model-based usability and acceptance outcomes. Data will be analyzed primarily on an intention-to-treat basis using appropriate parametric or non-parametric tests for between-group comparisons and repeated-measures methods to examine change over time, with qualitative feedback analyzed thematically. The study has obtained/will obtain ethics approval from relevant institutional review boards, uses informed consent procedures, and applies robust data protection measures (password-protected systems, anonymization, locked physical storage, and secure destruction after the retention period). The findings are expected to provide preliminary evidence on clinical usability, feasibility, and effectiveness of the chatbot and to inform the design of a larger, definitive RCT and potential integration of digital rehabilitation tools into routine practice for elderly distal radius fracture patients.