Clinical Research Directory

Procedural Sedation and Analgesia for Treatment of Adults With Fractures and Dislocations in the Emergency Department

The goal of this observational study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of different procedural sedation and analgesia methods used for adults with painful fractures requiring reduction treatment in the emergency department. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Which sedation and analgesia methods provide the best patient satisfaction and pain relief? * How do different treatment methods affect clinician satisfaction and the occurrence of adverse events? The investigators will compare different types of procedural sedative and analgesic treatments (such as systemic sedation/analgesia and regional techniques like nerve or hematoma blocks) to see which approach offers the best patient satisfaction and most effective pain control. Participants will: Be adult patients with upper or lower extremity fractures or joint dislocations requiring painful reduction procedures. Receive one of the routinely used sedation or analgesia treatments (or no analgesia) during their emergency department care. Report their pain levels and satisfaction before, during, and after treatment. Be monitored for any side effects, complications, or use of antidotes. Data will be collected over a six-month period at Odense University Hospital, Holbæk Hospital, and Zealand University Hospital, Køge, following the STROBE guidelines for observational studies.

Suture Closure Trial

Closure of surgical incisions in orthopedic procedures contributes to patient postoperative pain and risk of complication. As the focus on improving orthopedic surgery outcomes shifts to best practices in postoperative pain management, it is important to consider suture types and techniques. This study specifically would focus on comparing different suture types and techniques and their efficacy. This will be a randomized controlled trial comparing currently used, standard of care suture types and currently used, standard of care suture techniques to identify differences, if any exist, in postoperative pain scores and wound healing as assessed by exam and postoperative patient surveys. Patients will be identified by the Emory Upper Extremity/Hand Surgeons as they are identified as a candidate for surgery. Participants will then be informed of the study and spoken to about the specifics of the study. The research team will consent and recruit patients either in The Emory Clinic or in the preoperative area prior to surgery. All surgical operations will take place at the ambulatory surgical center in The Emory Clinic or at the Emory University Orthopaedic and Spine Hospital. Patients will not be compensated for participation in this study. No specimens/data/samples will be collected and stored for later use, and there are no optional substudies. This proposed study will address the lack of published literature regarding the suture technique in hand and wrist surgery in particular. Combined with examining various suture materials, the proposal has the potential to provide a valuable and actionable base of knowledge to the current body of literature.

Survey-Based Study on Recovery Period Differences in Upper Extremity Injuries Among Indoor Climbers by Treatment Method

This study aims to investigate the differences in recovery periods of upper extremity injuries among indoor climbers according to their treatment methods. The research focuses on comparing the recovery duration, specifically the time to return to climbing, between those who received professional physical therapy and those who relied on self-treatment or other conservative management. Additionally, this survey-based observational study seeks to explore how individual and training-related factors - such as warm-up duration, climbing frequency, and years of experience - affect the occurrence and recurrence of upper extremity injuries. Participants will complete an online questionnaire consisting of demographic data, climbing habits, injury characteristics, treatment methods, and recovery outcomes. The data will be collected anonymously and analyzed to determine whether the type of treatment correlates with faster recovery or reduced reinjury risk. The findings are expected to provide foundational evidence for developing effective rehabilitation and injury-prevention strategies for indoor climbers, and to guide clinicians and trainers in selecting appropriate treatment approaches for upper extremity injuries.

SoftHand Comparison Study

A trial to compare the performance of the SoftHand Pro (SHP) and Ossur i-Limb in people with transradial limb loss over an 8-week period.

Rehabilitation Paired with VNS for Motor Function Recovery

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate the efficacy and safety of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) combined with rehabilitation in improving upper extremity motor function after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Researchers will evaluate the efficacy and safety of VNS by comparing the improvements of arm motor function post-ICH in the active VNS combined rehabilitation group with that in the sham VNS combined rehabilitation group (actual intensity 0 mA). Participants in this study will undergo a surgical procedure to implant the VNS system and will subsequently recieve a 6 weeks in-clinic therapy, followed by an additional 6 weeks home exercise. During the final 6 weeks, participants will either recieve in-clinic therapy or maintain their home exercise, depending on their assigned group.

Multi-axis Assessment of Injured Workers

The percentage of loss time claims receiving Loss of Earnings benefits at 3 months has continued to rise amongst injured workers in Ontario despite the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) approach of "Better at Work". The primary health services to address loss time claims associated with musculoskeletal injuries include the evidenced-based programs of care, occupational health assessment program and musculoskeletal specialty programs, however, these are set to be revised and relaunched in Q1 2023. Across treatment protocols there are challenges that, at least in part, appear to contribute to the increasing percentage of workers on full loss of earnings at 3 months include (1) inconsistent early identification of workers who should be triaged to various health services and (2) reliable determination of the optimal timing of referral to the most targeted care to enable a safe and sustainable return to work. The investigators aim to develop and evaluate a predictive assessment model to triage workers to the best service within the first 8 weeks of their claim to increase the rate of early return to work, with the long-term goal that the triage protocol becomes part of a person-centric protocol that reduces the duration of work-related disability. The investigators will develop and evaluate an assessment protocol for injured workers that enter any of the musculoskeletal-specific WSIB programs of care, which have been consolidated into a single program as of 2023. This study will be a prospective inception cohort design using data collected from injured workers receiving WSIB musculoskeletal programs of care services at CBI Health clinics in Ontario Canada. Worker data will be collected at intake to the program of care service and again approximately four and eight weeks after intake (or earlier if a worker completes the program of care). The investigators will complete data analysis in three steps including descriptive and bivariate associations, Maximum Likelihood-based Latent Profile Analysis, and evaluation of results against successful work outcomes and secondary outcomes. Qualitative data will be mined for alternative indicators of recovery / non-recovery. The study recruitment goal is 300 - 350 workers with complete follow-up within a 2-year period.

Infraclavicular Brachial Plexus Block With Bupivacaine Alone or With Both Dexmedetomidine and Dexamethasone

Upper-extremity regional anesthetic techniques, using brachial plexus blockade, have been shown to reduce adverse effects related to opioid administration, improve patient satisfaction, and provide significantly improved analgesia immediately following these surgeries. Many medications have been investigated to extend and enhance long-acting local anesthetics' (LA) analgesic effects. Currently, dexamethasone and dexmedetomidine have been studied, looking for an optimal long-lasting single-shot nerve block. In general, adjuvants have been used in peripheral nerve blocks to accelerate onset, decrease plasmatic absorption and secondary toxic effects, and prolong the block effects.