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Lifting and Tightening of the Face and Neck Following an Increased Density Treatment

Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of the Ulthera® System for Lifting and Tightening of the Face and Neck Following an Increased Density Treatment.

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT01519206
Enrollment
32
Registered
2012-01-26
Start date
2011-08-31
Completion date
2013-03-31
Last updated
2017-12-11

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Skin Laxity

Keywords

Ulthera® System, Ultherapy™ Treatment, Ulthera, Inc.

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the Ulthera® System for obtaining lift and tightening of the cheek tissue, reduction of jowling, and improving jawline definition and/or submental skin laxity when increased density treatment is applied.

Detailed description

All enrolled study subjects will receive one full face and neck Ultherapy™ treatment. Pre- and post-treatment photos will be taken. Subjects will be required to return for follow-up visits at 60 days, 90 days, 180 days and 1 year following treatment.

Interventions

Focused ultrasound energy delivered below the surface of the skin.

Sponsors

Ulthera, Inc
Lead SponsorINDUSTRY

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
30 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Male or female, aged 30 to 65 years * Subject in good health * Desires lift and tightening of cheek tissue, reduction of jowling, improvement of jawline definition and/or submental skin laxity * Understands and accepts the obligation not to undergo any other procedures in the areas to be treated through the followup period * Willingness and ability to comply with protocol requirements, including returning for follow-up visits and abstaining from exclusionary procedures for the duration of the study

Exclusion criteria

* Presence of an active systemic or local skin disease that may affect wound healing * Severe solar elastosis * Excessive subcutaneous fat on the cheeks * Excessive skin laxity on the lower face and neck * Significant scarring in areas to be treated * Significant open facial wounds or lesions * Severe or cystic acne on the face * Presence of a metal stent or implant in the facial area to be treated, a pacemaker, or cochlear implants

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Improvement in Overall Lifting and Tightening of SkinBaseline to 90 days post treatmentImprovement in overall lifting and tightening of skin was completed by three masked assessors, completing a qualitative assessment of pre- and post-treatment photographs. Masked photo pairs of pre/post treatment photos of each treated subject were provided to each assessor. Each photo pair was consistent in lighting, position, focus. The visit interval of each photo was NOT marked. Each assessor's review was completed independently, with no input from others, assessing the photos for improvement. If improvement was seen, the blinded assessor was to choose the post-treatment photo. Categories of assessment included Improved, No Change, or Incorrect post-treatment photo chosen. The majority assessment among the 3 blinded assessors for each subject was reported.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Overall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.Baseline to 60 days, 90 days, 180 days and 1 year post-treatmentImprovement was assessed based on Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) scores. The GAIS was completed based on a live assessment of the subject and a photographic assessment comparing post-treatment photos to baseline photos. The PGAIS was completed by a clinician assessor; SGAIS was completed by the study subject. The GAIS is a 5-point scale (1-5) describing an overall assessment as follows: 1. \- Very Much Improved 2. \- Much Improved 3. \- Improved 4. \- No Change 5. \- Worse
Subjects' Assessment of PainDuring Ulthera treatmentSubjects' sensory response to the Ulthera treatment exposures were recorded for each anatomical region treated using a validated Numeric Rating Scale (0-10), with 1 representing no pain and 10 representing the worst pain possible. Subjects rated pain for each transducer, in each treatment region. For statistical analyses, NRS scores were averaged for each transducer depth.
Subject Satisfaction at 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatmentBaseline to 90 days, 180 days and 1 year post-treatmentSubject satisfaction was determined by scores on a patient satisfaction questionnaire (PSQ) completed at 90 days, 180 days and 1 year post-treatment. Subjects indicated how satisfied they were with their study treatment, i.e., Very Satisfied, Satisfied, Dissatisfied, Very Dissatisfied. Pre-treatment and post-treatment photographs were available for viewing at each follow-up visit interval. Subjects also had a mirror available for real time assessment, comparing their image in the mirror with pre-treatment and post-treatment photos.

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Recruitment details

Thirty-five (35) subjects were enrolled, 3 were deemed screen failures. Thirty-two (32) received study treatment. The first subject was treated on August 3, 2011 and the last subject was treated on 11/28/2011. The last patient follow-up for the trial was 11/21/2012.

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Ultherapy Treatment
Study subjects received a full face Ultherapy treatment delivering approximately 500 treatment lines at two treatment depths, i.e., 4.5mm and 3.0mm depth.
32
Total32

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000
Overall StudyLost to Follow-up3
Overall StudyMissed Visit2

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicUltherapy Treatment
Age, Continuous55 years
Body Mass Index (BMI)23.3 kg/m˄2
Fitzpatrick Skin Type
I
1 participants
Fitzpatrick Skin Type
II
24 participants
Fitzpatrick Skin Type
III
6 participants
Fitzpatrick Skin Type
IV
0 participants
Fitzpatrick Skin Type
V
1 participants
Fitzpatrick Skin Type
VI
0 participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
African American/Black
1 participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Caucasian
30 participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Hispanic/Latino
1 participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
32 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
31 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
1 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
— / —
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 32
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 32

Outcome results

Primary

Improvement in Overall Lifting and Tightening of Skin

Improvement in overall lifting and tightening of skin was completed by three masked assessors, completing a qualitative assessment of pre- and post-treatment photographs. Masked photo pairs of pre/post treatment photos of each treated subject were provided to each assessor. Each photo pair was consistent in lighting, position, focus. The visit interval of each photo was NOT marked. Each assessor's review was completed independently, with no input from others, assessing the photos for improvement. If improvement was seen, the blinded assessor was to choose the post-treatment photo. Categories of assessment included Improved, No Change, or Incorrect post-treatment photo chosen. The majority assessment among the 3 blinded assessors for each subject was reported.

Time frame: Baseline to 90 days post treatment

Population: Thirty-five (35) subjects were enrolled; 3 were screen failures. Thirty-two (32) subjects received study treatment. Three (3) subjects were lost-to-follow-up.

ArmMeasureValue (NUMBER)
Ultherapy TreatmentImprovement in Overall Lifting and Tightening of Skin48 percentage of participants improved
Secondary

Overall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.

Improvement was assessed based on Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) scores. The GAIS was completed based on a live assessment of the subject and a photographic assessment comparing post-treatment photos to baseline photos. The PGAIS was completed by a clinician assessor; SGAIS was completed by the study subject. The GAIS is a 5-point scale (1-5) describing an overall assessment as follows: 1. \- Very Much Improved 2. \- Much Improved 3. \- Improved 4. \- No Change 5. \- Worse

Time frame: Baseline to 60 days, 90 days, 180 days and 1 year post-treatment

Population: Three (3) subjects were lost-to-follow-up. Two (2) additional subjects missed the 1 year visit.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (NUMBER)
Ultherapy TreatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.PGAIS - Very Much Improved7 Percentage of Participants
Ultherapy TreatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.PGAIS - Much Improved28 Percentage of Participants
Ultherapy TreatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.PGAIS - Improved59 Percentage of Participants
Ultherapy TreatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.PGAIS - No Change7 Percentage of Participants
Ultherapy TreatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.PGAIS - Worse0 Percentage of Participants
Ultherapy TreatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.SGAIS - Very Much Improved3 Percentage of Participants
Ultherapy TreatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.SGAIS - Much Improved10 Percentage of Participants
Ultherapy TreatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.SGAIS - Improved48 Percentage of Participants
Ultherapy TreatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.SGAIS - No Change34 Percentage of Participants
Ultherapy TreatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.SGAIS - Worse3 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 90 Days Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.PGAIS - Improved41 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 90 Days Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.SGAIS - No Change34 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 90 Days Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.PGAIS - No Change21 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 90 Days Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.PGAIS - Worse0 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 90 Days Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.SGAIS - Very Much Improved3 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 90 Days Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.SGAIS - Much Improved17 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 90 Days Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.SGAIS - Worse3 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 90 Days Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.SGAIS - Improved41 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 90 Days Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.PGAIS - Very Much Improved14 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 90 Days Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.PGAIS - Much Improved24 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 180 Days Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.SGAIS - Improved52 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 180 Days Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.SGAIS - Much Improved17 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 180 Days Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.SGAIS - Worse7 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 180 Days Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.PGAIS - Very Much Improved7 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 180 Days Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.PGAIS - No Change31 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 180 Days Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.SGAIS - Very Much Improved0 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 180 Days Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.SGAIS - No Change24 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 180 Days Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.PGAIS - Much Improved10 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 180 Days Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.PGAIS - Worse3 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 180 Days Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.PGAIS - Improved48 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 1 Year Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.PGAIS - Worse0 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 1 Year Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.SGAIS - Improved41 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 1 Year Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.SGAIS - Very Much Improved4 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 1 Year Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.SGAIS - Worse7 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 1 Year Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.SGAIS - Much Improved7 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 1 Year Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.PGAIS - Much Improved22 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 1 Year Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.PGAIS - Improved70 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 1 Year Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.PGAIS - No Change0 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 1 Year Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.PGAIS - Very Much Improved7 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 1 Year Post-treatmentOverall Aesthetic Improvement at 60 Days, 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment.SGAIS - No Change41 Percentage of Participants
Secondary

Subjects' Assessment of Pain

Subjects' sensory response to the Ulthera treatment exposures were recorded for each anatomical region treated using a validated Numeric Rating Scale (0-10), with 1 representing no pain and 10 representing the worst pain possible. Subjects rated pain for each transducer, in each treatment region. For statistical analyses, NRS scores were averaged for each transducer depth.

Time frame: During Ulthera treatment

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)
Ultherapy TreatmentSubjects' Assessment of Pain4.5mm Transducer4.6 Units on a scale
Ultherapy TreatmentSubjects' Assessment of Pain3.0mm Transducer3.6 Units on a scale
Secondary

Subject Satisfaction at 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatment

Subject satisfaction was determined by scores on a patient satisfaction questionnaire (PSQ) completed at 90 days, 180 days and 1 year post-treatment. Subjects indicated how satisfied they were with their study treatment, i.e., Very Satisfied, Satisfied, Dissatisfied, Very Dissatisfied. Pre-treatment and post-treatment photographs were available for viewing at each follow-up visit interval. Subjects also had a mirror available for real time assessment, comparing their image in the mirror with pre-treatment and post-treatment photos.

Time frame: Baseline to 90 days, 180 days and 1 year post-treatment

Population: Three (3) subjects were lost-to-follow-up. Two (2) subjects missed the 1 year visit.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (NUMBER)
Ultherapy TreatmentSubject Satisfaction at 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatmentVery Satisfied21 Percentage of Participants
Ultherapy TreatmentSubject Satisfaction at 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatmentSatisfied48 Percentage of Participants
Ultherapy TreatmentSubject Satisfaction at 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatmentDissatisfied24 Percentage of Participants
Ultherapy TreatmentSubject Satisfaction at 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatmentVery Dissatisfied7 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 90 Days Post-treatmentSubject Satisfaction at 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatmentVery Dissatisfied10 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 90 Days Post-treatmentSubject Satisfaction at 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatmentVery Satisfied10 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 90 Days Post-treatmentSubject Satisfaction at 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatmentDissatisfied21 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 90 Days Post-treatmentSubject Satisfaction at 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatmentSatisfied59 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 180 Days Post-treatmentSubject Satisfaction at 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatmentVery Dissatisfied15 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 180 Days Post-treatmentSubject Satisfaction at 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatmentSatisfied41 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 180 Days Post-treatmentSubject Satisfaction at 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatmentDissatisfied37 Percentage of Participants
Treated Subjects GAIS Data - 180 Days Post-treatmentSubject Satisfaction at 90 Days, 180 Days and 1 Year Post-treatmentVery Satisfied7 Percentage of Participants

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026