Early intervention attempts to shorten protracted delayed union (DU) or prevent non-union (NU) fractures are hampered by lack of validated quantitative assessment tools for bone fracture healing during normal and delayed healing processes. In actual practice, sequential X-rays usually follow a pre-determined time interval in patients with fractures.They constitute the best available state of the art used by surgeons to assess the fracture healing course. In an attempt to improve between raters reliability of radiographic assessment of healing, studies have explored a novel radiographic assessment for tibial shaft fractures, the Radiographic Union Scale for Tibial Fractures (RUST). The RUST assesses the presence of bridging callus and a fracture line on each of four cortices (seen on anterior-posterior and lateral views). This callus based scoring system has been since extended to other bones than the tibia in a retrospective case series. It has been renamed modified radiological union score (mRUS) and has shown potential value in bone healing measurement. Based on an initial retrospective study in nail-treated fractures, the first objective of the present investigation is to prospectively validate mRUS as a tool to identify patients at increased risk of DU and NU within the first 75-110 days after fracture occurrence. This prospective validation will be performed on a retrospective cohort of patients having sustained long bone fractures, including both upper and lower extremities. A further objective of the present investigation is to apply the scoring system to tomographic imaging in case of nail/plate treated fractures, deriving a tomographic union score (TUS) and first assess its potential value in bone healing for fractures treated by nails/plates.
Age range
18 Years – 80 Years
Sex
ALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
mRUS assessed on X-Ray
Timeframe: 75-110 days after fracture occurrence