Recruiting

Nail Bed Repair vs. Irrigation

Sponsor:

Stanford University

Code:

NCT07388823

Conditions

Nail Bed Injury

Nail Laceration

Nail Plate Disruption

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 2+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Nail Bed Repair

Nail bed dressing

Study Details

Brief summary:

This study compares the outcomes of fixing nail bed injuries with nail bed repair versus irrigation and dressing alone. The main question this study aims to answer is "Does nail bed repair after nail bed injury lead to better outcomes?"

Conditions

Nail Bed Injury

Nail Laceration

Nail Plate Disruption

Study ID

NCT07388823

Start date

Jun 1, 2026

Status verified date

Jul, 2026

Completion date

Oct 31, 2030

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Oct 31, 2030

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 2+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • patients 2+ years of age
  • presenting with disruption of nail plate or laceration adjacent to nail which appears that it may extend into the nail matrix OR subungual hematoma >50% of nail
  • presenting within 3 days of acute injury

Exclusion Criteria:

  • missing (e.g. avulsed) nail bed or segment of nail bed,
  • prior injury to affected nail
  • need for surgical treatment of injury (e.g. underlying operative fracture)

Study Design

Enrollment

100 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

active comparator: No nail bed repair (Irrigation and Dressing)

Patients in this arm will receive the following treatment protocol:

1. If there is a subungual hematoma >50% of the nail, trephinate the nail plate using an 18G needle
2. Irrigate wound with at least 500cc normal saline
3. Dress finger with bacitracin, Adaptic or xeroform, and 2" kling wrap
4. Splint finger as needed with alumifoam splint (apply splint to volar side of finger so as to avoid pressure to nail bed)
5. Repair any other lacerations as needed
6. Discharge on Keflex x7d with referral for followup in hand clinic in 1-2 weeks

experimental: Nail bed repair

Patients in this arm will receive the following treatment protocol:

1. Block involved digit with 3cc 1% lidocaine injected subcutaneously over volar and dorsal metacarpophalangeal joint
2. Apply tourniquet to base of finger if desired
3. Remove nail using freer/hemostats
4. Irrigate wound with at least 500cc normal saline
5. Repair nail bed laceration with 5-0 chromic or monocryl suture
6. Fashion substitute nail from foil suture packet, stent eponychium, and secure with 2 absorbable sutures
7. Dress finger with bacitracin, Adaptic or xeroform, and 2" kling wrap
8. Splint finger as needed with alumifoam splint (apply splint to volar side of finger so as to avoid pressure to nail bed)
9. Repair any other lacerations as needed
10. Discharge on Keflex x7d with referral for followup in hand clinic in 1-2 weeks

Interventions

Nail Bed Repair

1. Block involved digit with 3cc 1% lidocaine injected subcutaneously over volar and dorsal metacarpophalangeal joint
2. Apply tourniquet to base of finger if desired
3. Remove nail using freer/hemostats
4. Irrigate wound with at least 500cc normal saline
5. Repair nail bed laceration with 5-0 chromic or monocryl suture
6. Stent eponychium with native nail or fashion substitute from foil suture packet and secure with 2 sutures
7. Dress finger with bacitracin, xeroform, and 2" kling wrap
8. Splint finger as needed with alumifoam splint (apply splint to volar side of finger so as to avoid pressure to nail bed)
9. Repair any other lacerations as needed

Nail bed dressing

1. If there is a subungual hematoma >50% of the nail, trephinate the nail plate using an 18G needle
2. Irrigate wound with at least 500cc normal saline
3. Dress finger with bacitracin, xeroform, and 2" kling wrap
4. Splint finger as needed with alumifoam splint (apply splint to volar side of finger so as to avoid pressure to nail bed)
5. Repair any other lacerations as needed

Primary outcome measure

  • Oxford Nail Score [ Time Frame: From time of treatment, outcomes will be measured at 1-2 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Sara Kemper

650 725 7897sara.kemper@stanford.edu

Locations

Stanford University

Recruiting

Palo Alto, California, United States, 94305

Principal Investigator:

Anna Luan, MD

More Information

Sponsor

Stanford University

Last update posted

Jul 20, 2026

Last verified

Jul, 2026

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Stanford University on 2026-07-20.