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Effects Of Intra-Operative Intra-Articular Cocktail Injection In Patella Open Reduction And Internal Fixation

Effects Of Intra-Operative Intra-Articular Cocktail Injection In Patella Open Reduction And Internal Fixation (ORIF): A Single Centre, Double Blinded, Randomised Control Trial

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07006168
Enrollment
56
Registered
2025-06-05
Start date
2024-11-01
Completion date
2027-07-31
Last updated
2025-06-05

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

Conditions

Patella Fracture

Keywords

Intra-Articular analgesic injection, Pain relief, Open Reduction and Internal Fixation, Functional Recovery, Rehabilitation, Range of motion, Post-operative recovery

Brief summary

The objective of this study is to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of an intra-articular analgesics cocktail injection for post-operative patella fracture fixation patients, by comparing post-operative pain relief and functional recovery among study subjects who received the injection and those who did not receive the injection. Secondary objective is to demonstrate the health economic effects of intra-articular analgesics cocktail injection by reducing length of hospital stay and reducing bed-stay related complications.

Detailed description

This is a single-centre, double-blinded, randomised control trial that evaluates the efficacy of intra-articular analgesics cocktail injection in post-operative pain relief and functional recovery for fractured patella fixation patients. The recruited study subjects will be randomised to the two study groups respectively in a 1:1 randomisation ratio. Patella is the largest sesamoid bone in the human body, it acts as the fulcrum of our knee extensor apparatus and is important during the gait cycle. Patella fracture commonly occurs after a fall on a flexed knee. Treatment can be conservative or surgical with open reduction and internal fixation. Patients often experience significant pain around the knee post-operatively, limiting their walking ability and hindering their rehabilitation. As a result, total hospital stay will be prolonged, leading to hospital stay-related morbidity and additional healthcare economic burden. Previous studies have shown that the use of an analgesic cocktail injection in arthroplasty cases can significantly reduce early postoperative pain and provide better early motion. The cocktail regime is as follows for a unilateral joint: Ketoralac 15mg Ropivacaine 1% 15ml 0.9% Normal Saline 35ml Adrenaline 1:1000 0.5ml Stacort-A Triamcinolone Acetonide 40mg Total Cocktail Volume \ 50ml After fracture fixation, patients in the intervention group will receive an intra-articular injection of the above analgesic cocktail, while patients in the control group will not receive an injection. Herein this study, the investigators hope to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of an intra-articular analgesics cocktail injection for post-operative patella fracture fixation patients.

Interventions

An intra-articular cocktail injection ( Ketoralac 15mg, Ropivacaine 1% 15ml, 0.9% Normal Saline 35ml, Adrenaline 1:1000 0.5ml, Stacort-A Triamcinolone Acetonide 40mg) will be injected into the surgical site after fracture fixation surgery.

DRUGTriamcinolone Acetonide 40mg

An intra-articular cocktail injection ( Ketoralac 15mg, Ropivacaine 1% 15ml, 0.9% Normal Saline 35ml, Adrenaline 1:1000 0.5ml, Stacort-A Triamcinolone Acetonide 40mg) will be injected into the surgical site after fracture fixation surgery.

DRUGRopivacaine HCL 1% 15ml

An intra-articular cocktail injection ( Ketoralac 15mg, Ropivacaine 1% 15ml, 0.9% Normal Saline 35ml, Adrenaline 1:1000 0.5ml, Stacort-A Triamcinolone Acetonide 40mg) will be injected into the surgical site after fracture fixation surgery.

DRUG0.9 % Normal Saline 35ml

An intra-articular cocktail injection ( Ketoralac 15mg, Ropivacaine 1% 15ml, 0.9% Normal Saline 35ml, Adrenaline 1:1000 0.5ml, Stacort-A Triamcinolone Acetonide 40mg) will be injected into the surgical site after fracture fixation surgery.

DRUGAdrenaline 1:1000 0.5ml

An intra-articular cocktail injection ( Ketoralac 15mg, Ropivacaine 1% 15ml, 0.9% Normal Saline 35ml, Adrenaline 1:1000 0.5ml, Stacort-A Triamcinolone Acetonide 40mg) will be injected into the surgical site after fracture fixation surgery.

Sponsors

The University of Hong Kong
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)

Intervention model description

Patients will be allocated to receive either Intra-articular Cocktail Injection (IA Cocktail) OR receive no Injection (Control).

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* acute patella fracture requiring open reduction and internal fixation; * able to consent to surgery; * pre-morbid able to ambulate

Exclusion criteria

* open fracture; * polytrauma; * previous knee arthroplasty; * history of chronic pain, * insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, or peptic ulcer disease; * chronic users of glucocorticoids, immunosuppressants, or immune-modulating agents, or of strong opioids (e.g.: morphine, fentanyl, hydromorphone, methadone, oxycodone, or meperidine); * hepatitis B or C carrier; * renal impairment (creatinine \[Cr\], \>200 mmol/L)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
9-item Quality of Recovery Score (QoR-9 Score)Post-op Day 1 to 3The QoR-9 has 9 questions evaluating the quality of recovery after surgery and anaesthesia. It is a patient-rated score ranging from 0 (worst) to 2 (best).
Oral analgesics consumedPost-operative 2 weeks periodThe level of the analgesic consumed (non-opioids, weak opioids, strong opioids), and the frequency of consumption
Tegner Lysholm Knee ScorePost-op Day 14The Lysholm Knee Score calculates and grades an overall score from 0 to 100 based on 8 domains: squatting, locking, pain, stair climbing, support, instability, and edema. Scores between 95 and 100 are regarded as exceptional, 84 and 94 as acceptable, 65 to 83 as fair, and less than 65 as poor.
Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS)Post-op Day 14The KOOS's five patient-relevant dimensions are scored separately: Pain (nine items); Symptoms (seven items); ADL Function (17 items); Sport and Recreation Function (five items); Quality of Life (four items). A Likert scale is used, and all items have five possible answer options scored from 0 (No problems) to 4 (Extreme problems), and each of the five scores is calculated as the sum of the items included. Scores are transformed to a 0-100 scale, with zero representing extreme knee problems and 100 representing no knee problems as common in orthopaedic scales and generic measures. Scores between 0 and 100 represent the percentage of total possible score achieved.
Pain as measured by Numerical Patient Reported Scale (NRPS)Pre-op, Post-op Day 1 to 3Numerical Patient Reported Scale (NRPS), 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable)
Maximum Active Knee FlexionAt post-op Day 1 to 3The patient's Knee flexion is measured by a physiotherapist

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Time to radiological bony unionThrough study completion, an average of 1 yearX-rays will be taken at different follow-up intervals (post-op 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months). The X-rays will be assessed for bony union at the surgical site.
Incidence of ComplicationsThrough study completion, an average of 1 yearComplications such as fracture site infection, loss of reduction, non-union, and malunion will be assessed and recorded
Length of hospital stayThrough study completion, an average of 1 yearThe number of days the patient was hospitalised

Countries

Hong Kong

Contacts

Primary ContactChristian FANG
cfang@hku.hk+852 22554581
Backup ContactChristian Fang
cfang@hku.hk

Outcome results

None listed

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