82 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
Single-center nonrandomized single-arm early feasibility study of participants with soft tissue trauma in the hand. Prior to enrolling participants with hand injuries, the safety of continuous glove use for up to 96 hours without a glove replacement will be assessed on healthy volunteers. Injured participants will be on study for up to 7 weeks depending on when the final glove is removed. Screening: Prior to surgery and through 72 hours post-surgery to identify eligible patients Treatment with Glove: Treatment begins with initial application of the ReHeal Glove and can last up to 7 days (with dressing changes every 48-72 hours unless more frequent changes are requested by the treating physician.) Follow-up: Up to 6 weeks after final removal of glove to ensure complete wound healing.
This study aims to determine whether early initiation of temporary nerve block therapy improves patient satisfaction, decreases patient pain and discomfort, decreases the use of dangerous medications such as narcotics, and frees hospital resources. Hand injuries, such as blast injuries from fireworks, can be very painful. In the emergency department, providers generally use narcotic pain medications to control pain, but these have significant side effects. It is possible that temporary nerve blocks, guided by ultrasound, can be safe and useful in the emergency department. They have been shown to be effective in several studies around the country. The goal of this study is to build on the experience of others to increase the use of US-guided regional nerve blocks as a form of pain management in hand and distal forearm injuries in the Harborview Medical Center (HMC) emergency department. By working with a multidisciplinary team, the study investigators hope to use this technique to decrease narcotic use and improve pain control, and to provide important data for Emergency Medicine physicians elsewhere who are considering incorporating this nerve block technique into their practice.
The aim of this study is to examine the development of a conceptual framework and provide evidence for reliability of a comprehensive hand therapy evaluation score. This approach provides a new standardized tool for upper extremity (UE) evaluation. Components of Pain, Range of Motion (ROM), Edema, Sensibility, Strength (PRESS), and self-reported Function were combined to create a baseline. Each assessment tool used for the PRESS to Function Approach assists in determining appropriate interventions.
This study is to analyze the effectiveness of a nighttime extension orthosis after receiving a cortisone injection for the treatment of trigger finger to improve pain and restore functional outcomes. The investigators hypothesize that the extension orthosis will improve pain and functional outcomes compared to those without a digital night extension orthosis in those with trigger finger at 12 weeks from the injection.
This is a prospective, randomized, double-blinded controlled trial comparing two different techniques for digital blocks. Participants will be physicians who perform digital blocks as part of their everyday duty. Each participant will undergo two digital blocks and will have the opportunity to perform a digital block on another participant. This study follows a two-period cross-over design with four groups that are defined by the sequence of treatments within each group. Participants will receive two digital blocks, one using the traditional dorsal technique and one using the volar technique. Of the two injections, one of the syringes will contain 1% lidocaine without epinephrine and the other will contain sterile normal saline. The injections will be to the index finger on each hand. The hand injected first will be up to the participant. The order in which the dorsal technique versus the volar technique is performed will be randomized. Participants will not be told one of the syringes contains normal saline. Injection pain will be measured by visual analog score and recorded after each injection. Sensation in each of the 12 zones of the finger will be recorded at each minute mark until loss of sensation in all 12 zones is achieved or 15 minutes has passed, whichever comes first.
The purpose of this study is to review the clinical outcomes following hand ligament reconstruction surgery using allograft (cadaveric) knee collateral ligaments. Currently, there is no standard procedure or devices used for hand ligament reconstruction surgery, although most techniques use some form of autograft (patients' own tissue) for the reconstruction. We believe that the use of allograft ligaments in reconstruction may eliminate the pain associated with procuring the patients' own tissue for the procedure, and prove to be a viable and preferred alternative to the multiple techniques currently used. The main procedures of this study include wrist and hand ligament reconstruction surgery (for wrist scapholunate (SL) ligaments, thumb ulnar collateral ligaments (UCL), and finger proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint collateral ligaments) using allograft ligament, and subsequent follow up appointments where measurements and questionnaires will be completed to evaluate how hand function is doing after surgery.
Steroids are often prescribed for their anti-inflammatory effects in patients with musculoskeletal injuries. Studies have shown that steroids may reduce pain and swelling, but their effects on range of motion and functional outcomes have not been illustrated. With this study, we aim to evaluate the effect of steroids on range of motion and functional outcomes in non-operatively managed musculoskeletal injuries of the hand.
This study design is a prospective, double-blinded, randomized controlled trial evaluating the quality of bloodless surgical field with lower tourniquet pressures based on systolic blood pressure (SBP) compared to standard tourniquet pressures. A secondary goal is to evaluate the effect of lower tourniquet pressures on post-operative tourniquet site pain. The rationale behind the study is to provide evidence-based guidelines on tourniquet use to continue providing quality surgical care while minimizing pain and potential harm to patients.
Intravenous regional anesthesia is a commonly used technique in the outpatient setting for short hand and upper extremity cases, such as carpal tunnel release or trigger finger release. The technique requires a tourniquet, Esmarch bandage, an intravenous line, and lidocaine. It can be performed and learned easily. The technique is safe and easy to perform, and it provides adequate anesthesia for short cases; however, there are still some cases in which adequate anesthesia is not achieved. One of the possible reasons for failure is that the local anesthetic (lidocaine) does not properly exit the veins to reach the interstitial space (where many nerves are located) to provide the nerve block. In this study, the investigators hypothesize that after application of lidocaine to the intravenous system, application of external pressure through the skin will facilitate tissue penetration and improve the block. The only research procedure being done is a re-application of the Esmarch bandage; all other procedures are Standard of Care.
This study seeks to determine if postoperative phone calls by a physician affect outcomes in hand surgery.
Rationale: there is a need for psychosocial symptom management in hand therapy which has been understudied. Mindfulness-based interventions are used to address psychosocial symptoms in other settings such as chronic injury but have yet to be implemented or explored for patients in acute outpatient rehabilitation. Intervention: a supplemental mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) will be provided to the experimental group while the control group will receive standard care. The MBI will begin with an explanation of the purpose of a mindfulness, how mindfulness relates to hand therapy, and lead to a 20-minute guided meditation using an audio recording. Objectives: to establish the feasibility of providing a MBI in hand therapy and evaluate preliminary effects of the MBI on patients' stress, anxiety, and depression. Population: adult patients at an outpatient hand therapy clinic in the Los Angeles area who have received a traumatic injury (e.g., tendon laceration, compound fracture, finger amputation). Methodology: the study will use a mixed-methods, non-randomized, 2-group, comparative trial design with 40 participants in total. Quantitative data on psychosocial outcomes, including salivary cortisol, will be collected once a week for 4 weeks while patients are attending hand therapy and qualitative interviews will be conducted at the end of the study. Study arms: the experimental group (n = 20) will receive the MBI just before regularly scheduled standard care visits. The control group (n = 20) will receive only standard care. Outcomes: this pilot study will be used to inform a future fully powered trial on mindfulness-based interventions in hand therapy. Feasibility and preliminary psychosocial effects of MBIs will be evaluated and used to inform future work. Analysis: (1) A repeated measures ANOVA for intervention group, time, and time by intervention group effects on the psychosocial outcomes (i.e., Cortisol, Anxiety, Depression, and Pain Catastrophizing). (2) A descriptive qualitative process will be used to analyze themes in participant interview responses.
This study focuses on the use of a specific type of at-home hand rehabilitation software, MoTrack Therapy, in improving the treatment of hand and wrist injuries.
The purpose of this study is to compare two different injection sites for local anesthesia in patients having hand surgery. The hypothesis is that subjects receiving injections around the three nerves of the forearm will provide faster pain control and greater patient satisfaction than patients having one injection closer to the shoulder.
The purpose of this study is to compare Exparel, a new, long-lasting numbing medication and a shorter-acting nerve block to a traditional single-shot nerve block in patients having hand, wrist or finger surgery.
Cat bites are puncture wounds that have the potential to seed bacteria deep within the joint capsule, periosteum, and bone. The hand is the most common site of bite injuries. Pasteurella multocida is the is the most common organism isolated from the mouths of cats that can cause infections after a bite. Prophylactic antibiotics are often recommended with amoxicillin-clavulanate for 3-5 days to decrease the incidence of developing an infection. However, only one randomized controlled clinical trial consisting of 12 patients has been performed to justify this course of treatment, raising the possibility that the use of antibiotics could be reduced or even eliminated. Investigators will compare different durations of prophylactic antibiotics and a placebo control for cat bites to the hand/forearm presenting to the Emergency Department, Urgent Care, Plastic Surgery Clinic using a randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical trial. Participants presenting to the University of Missouri Hospital Emergency Department, Missouri University (MU) Healthcare Urgent Care, Plastic Surgery Clinic over the next year will be offered the chance to enroll if they meet the inclusion/exclusion criteria. For inclusion, participants will be \>18 years of age, have cat bites to the hand or distal to elbow, and present within 24 hours of the cat bite injury. Participants must not present with active local or systemic infections, have received antibiotics within the past 30 days, or be immunocompromised (primary and secondary immunodeficiencies). Participants will be randomized to one of three treatment arms (placebo; amoxicillin-clavulanate 1 day; amoxicillin-clavulanate 5 days). Outcomes are the development of an infection at the location of the cat bite and/or systemic infection, adverse effects of interventions, disability assessed by Quick Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) scores, and quality of life (QOL) assessed by HAND Questionnaire (HAND-Q) scores. Infection will be assessed at day 0, day 2, day 7+/-2, day 14+/-2, and day 30+/-2 by vital signs, laboratory values, physical examination and with an infrared and digital camera. All measures will be within the standard of care, apart from the infrared camera, QuickDASH, and HAND-Q scores. The anatomic locations of cat bites to the hand/forearm will be assessed for correlations with infections.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not giving a lower dose of antibiotics (Vancomycin) in the area where it is needed (upper extremity) is more effective at preventing infection than the current standard dose which is given intravenously (IV).
This study seeks to determine if watching a preoperative educational video influences opioid consumption and proper disposal following elective hand surgery.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate functional and aesthetic outcomes of combined facial and upper extremity composite tissue allografts on patients who have not achieved functional and aesthetic outcomes with conventional reconstructive surgical strategies and prosthetic devices.
Upper extremity allotransplantation is a new procedure which is becoming more common in the United States. Ongoing data collection for research purposes is vital to the long-term assessment as to the safety of the procedure and accompanying immunosuppression protocol, as well as quantifying patient outcomes and changes in quality of life. For these reasons, The Johns Hopkins Hand/Arm Transplantation Team is interested in enrolling transplanted patients in a follow-up protocol to continue collecting informative data to further the field of vascularized composite allotransplantation.
Hand and feet lacerations are common in children with repair often requiring conscious sedation and needle sticks for repair. Growing evidence in adults reveal that many of these small lacerations do quite well cosmetically without intervention. This randomized controlled trial will evaluated the cosmetic outcome at 4 months in two groups of children with hand or feet lacerations \<2 cm comparing suturing vs conservative wound management.
The objectives of this pilot study are to: (1) evaluate acute effects of biofeedback and mindfulness training on pain, anxiety, and stress during a hand therapy visit and (2) gain understanding of patient perceptions, preferences, and experiences with mind-body interventions.
Background: Millions of people each year sustain injuries, have tumors surgically removed, or are born with defects that require complex reconstructive surgeries to repair. In the case of hand, forearm, or arm amputation, prostheses only provide less than optimal motor function and no sensory feedback. However, hand and arm transplantation is a means to restore the appearance, anatomy, and function of a native hand. Although over 70 hand transplants have been performed to date and good functional results have been achieved, widespread clinical use has been limited due to adverse effects of life-long and high-dose immunosuppression needed to prevent graft rejection. Risks include infection, cancer, and metabolic problems, all of which can greatly affect recipients' quality of life, make the procedure riskier, and jeopardize the potential benefits of hand transplantation. Study Design: This non-randomized, Phase II clinical trial will document the use of a new immunomodulatory protocol (aka - Pittsburgh Protocol, Starzl Protocol) for establishing hand transplantation as a safe and effective reconstructive treatment for upper extremity amputations by minimizing maintenance immunosuppression therapy in unilateral and bilateral hand/forearm transplant patients. This protocol combines lymphocyte depletion with donor bone marrow cell infusion and has enabled graft survival using low doses of a single immunosuppressive drug followed by weaning of treatment. Initially designed for living-related solid organ donation, this regimen has been adapted for use with grafts donated by deceased donors. The investigators propose to perform 30 human hand transplants employing this novel protocol. Specific Aims: 1) To establish hand transplantation as a safe and effective reconstructive strategy for the treatment of upper extremity amputations; 2) To reduce the risk of rejection and enable allograft survival while minimizing the requirement for long-term high dose multi-drug immunosuppression. Significance of Research: Hand transplantation could help upper extremity amputees recover functionality, self-esteem, and the capability to reintegrate into family and social life as "whole" individuals. The protocol offers the potential for minimizing the morbidity of maintenance immunosuppression, thereby beneficially shifting the risk/benefit ratio of this life-enhancing procedure and enabling widespread clinical application of hand transplantation.
Participants of this study will include burns requiring skin graft to hand(s). After informed consent, an occupational therapy evaluation will be performed. Participants will consent to surgery, in which skin graft will be applied by physician during surgery, occupational therapy will apply coban dressing. Participant will seen daily by occupational therapist during hospitalization for active range of motion to hand(s). Occupational therapist will measure range of motion of hand(s) and physician will assess graft success at one and four days after surgery and at three out patient clinic visits. Hand strength will also be measured at three out patient visits. Does the initiation of range of motion on post operative day kone with coban dressing improve hand function without compromising graft success?
The purpose of this study is to see if an investigational surgery that transfers tissue from a non-living donor to living individual will help restore greater function, appearance, and sensation to the hand and forearm areas of individuals who have suffered traumatic injury to the hand and forearm. This procedure is called a hand allotransplantation or "hand transplant". This study will also collect data on how patients do during and after having a hand transplant from a nonliving donor. Recovery and outcomes will be observed through clinical exams, x-rays, blood and tissue tests, and other associated evaluations at all follow up visits.
The goal of this study is to pilot test a skills-based virtual reality (VR) for acute orthopedic injury. It will measure the feasibility, signals of improvement, exploratory pain mechanisms, and user experience of an established skills-based program (RelieveVRx) for acute orthopedic injury.
When people use hand-held power tools, their hands and arms vibrate along with the tool they are holding. People who frequently use hand-held power tools may develop injuries related to this vibration. This study will evaluate a protective brace designed to prevent vibration-related hand and arms injuries.
This is a descriptive study assessing the feasibility of using VR rehabilitation with unilateral (or bilateral) impairment of the arm, wrist and or hand resulting in reduced range of motion, dexterity, and/or strength of the hand.
While physical exercise remains the foundation for any rehabilitation therapy, the team seeks to improve the benefits of exercise by combining it with the concept of "Fire Together, Wire Together" - when brain stimulation is synchronized with spinal cord stimulation, nerve circuits in the spinal cord strengthen - a phenomenon termed "Spinal Cord Associative Plasticity", or SCAP. This project will build on the team's promising preliminary findings. When one pulse of brain stimulation is synchronized with one pulse of cervical spinal stimulation, hand muscle responses are larger than with brain stimulation alone or unsynchronized stimulation. However, the team does not know the best ways to apply SCAP repetitively, especially in conjunction with exercise, to increase and extend improvements in clinical function. Do ideal intervention parameters vary across individuals, or do they need to be customized? The team will take a systematic approach with people who have chronic cervical SCI to determine each person's best combination of SCAP with task-oriented hand exercise. Participants will undergo roughly 50 intervention, verification, and follow-up sessions over 6 to 10 months each. The team will measure clinical and physiological responses of hand and arm muscles to each intervention. Regaining control over hand function represents the top priority for individuals with cervical SCI. Furthermore, this approach could be compatible with other future interventions, including medications and cell-based treatments.
The goal of this clinical trial is to determine whether people with paralysis due to a spinal cord injury can benefit from breathing short intermittent bouts of air with low oxygen (O2) combined with slightly higher levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), interspaced by breathing room air. The technical name for this therapeutic air mixture is 'acute intermittent hypercapnic-hypoxia,' abbreviated as AIHH. Following exposure to the gas mixture, participants will receive non-invasive electrical stimulation to the spinal cord paired with specific and targeted exercise training. The main question this trial aims to answer is: Can the therapeutic application of AIHH, combined with non-invasive electrical stimulation to the spinal cord plus exercise training, increase the strength of muscles involved in breathing and hand function in people with paralysis due to a spinal cord injury? Participants will be asked to attend a minimum of five study visits, each separated by at least a week. During these visits, participants will be required to: * Answer basic questions about their health * Receive exposure to the therapeutic air mixture (AIHH) * Undergo non-invasive spinal electrical stimulation * Complete functional breathing and arm strength testing * Undergo a single blood draw * Provide a saliva sample Researchers will compare the results of individuals without a spinal cord injury to those of individuals with a spinal cord injury to determine if the effects are similar.
The purpose of this study is to develop and test the hardware and software components of the MyHand-SCI device to assist with hand function for individuals with C6-C7 spinal cord injury.