StUdy oN Burst Fractures (SunBurst) (SunBurst)
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The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Know the risks and potential benefits of clinical studies and talk to your health care provider before participating. Read our disclaimer for details. |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05003180 |
Recruitment Status :
Recruiting
First Posted : August 12, 2021
Last Update Posted : January 26, 2023
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Thoracolumbar Burst Fracture | Procedure: Surgical stabilization | Not Applicable |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Estimated Enrollment : | 202 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Intervention Model Description: | Randomized controlled trial. Subjects are identified through spine services at hospitals throughout Sweden and Norway. The subjects are screened for eligibility. Subjects are randomized in a 1:1 ratio to surgical or non-surgical treatment. |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | SunBurst (StUdy oN Burst Fractures) - a National, Multicenter, Register-based, Randomized Controlled Trial on Thoracolumbar Burst Fractures |
Actual Study Start Date : | September 1, 2021 |
Estimated Primary Completion Date : | December 31, 2025 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | December 31, 2036 |
Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Active Comparator: Surgical
Surgical stabilization. Brace treatment will not be used postoperative. Early ambulation after surgery is encouraged. Surgery is to be performed within 2 weeks from the injury. The choice of supplier and brand of implants are based on the preference of each participating center. Physiotherapy and other measures of rehabilitation are prescribed on an individual basis. |
Procedure: Surgical stabilization
The surgical stabilization can be either open or minimally invasive. The recommended procedure is posterior fixation with pedicle screws and rods. Both short and long segment fixation are allowed in the study. It is up to the treating surgeon to decide on fusion or decompression. If feasible, pedicle screws are inserted in the fractured vertebra. |
No Intervention: Non-surgical treatment
No surgical stabilization is performed. Early ambulation after treatment randomization is encouraged. Brace treatment is not required, but a standard three-point hyperextension brace may be offered up to 3 months for pain relief. The choice of supplier and brand of brace are based on the preference of each participating center. The brace will only be used upon mobilization. Brace use will be estimated by the patient at the 3-4 months follow-up. Physiotherapy and other measures of rehabilitation are prescribed on an individual basis. |
- Group difference in Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) 1 year after the fracture. [ Time Frame: At 1 year after the fracture ]ODI is a patient-reported outcome measure for spinal disorders. It consists of 10 questions related to back specific disabilities such as pain, personal care, walking and sitting ability, lifting capacity and social life.
- Group difference in Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) 3 to 4 months after the fracture [ Time Frame: At 3 to 4 months after the fracture. ]ODI is a patient-reported outcome measure for spinal disorders. It consists of 10 questions related to back specific disabilities such as pain, personal care, walking and sitting ability, lifting capacity and social life.
- Change in Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) from the time of the fracture to 3 to 4 months after the fracture [ Time Frame: At the time of the fracture and 3 to 4 months after the fracture. ]Change in ODI between groups.
- Change in Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) from the time of the fracture to 1 year after the fracture [ Time Frame: At the time of the fracture and 1 year after the fracture. ]Change in ODI between groups.
- Group difference in Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SMFA) at 3 to 4 months [ Time Frame: At 3 to 4 months after the fracture. ]SMFA is a patient-reported outcome measure for a broad range of musculoskeletal disorders consisting of a total of 46 questions. 34 questions measure the patient's dysfunction and 12 questions measure how bothered the patients are by their symptoms.
- Group difference in Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SMFA) at 1 year [ Time Frame: At 1 year after the fracture. ]SMFA is a patient-reported outcome measure for a broad range of musculoskeletal disorders consisting of a total of 46 questions. 34 questions measure the patient's dysfunction and 12 questions measure how bothered the patients are by their symptoms.
- Change in Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SMFA) from the time of the fracture to 3 to 4 months after the fracture [ Time Frame: At the time of the fracture and 3 to 4 months after the fracture. ]Change in SMFA between groups.
- Change in Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SMFA) from the time of the fracture to 1 year after the fracture [ Time Frame: At the time of the fracture and 1 year after the fracture. ]Change in SMFA between groups.
- Group difference in EQ-5D-5L at 3 to 4 months [ Time Frame: At 3 to 4 months after the fracture. ]EQ-5D-5L is a standardized quality of life instrument developed by the EuroQol group. It consists of 5 dimensions measuring mobility, personal care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression with 5 levels for each dimension (1=no problems, 2=slight problems, 3=moderate problems, 4=severe problems, 5=extreme problems). It also has a visual analog scale (EQ VAS) from 0 (worst possible health) to 100 (best possible health) to measure how the subjects consider their own health.
- Group difference in EQ-5D-5L at 1 year [ Time Frame: At 1 year after the fracture. ]EQ-5D-5L is a standardized quality of life instrument developed by the EuroQol group. It consists of 5 dimensions measuring mobility, personal care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression with 5 levels for each dimension (1=no problems, 2=slight problems, 3=moderate problems, 4=severe problems, 5=extreme problems). It also has a visual analog scale (EQ VAS) from 0 (worst possible health) to 100 (best possible health) to measure how the subjects consider their own health.
- Change in EQ-5D-5L from the time of the fracture to 3 to 4 months after the fracture [ Time Frame: At the time of the fracture and 3 to 4 months after the fracture. ]Change in EQ-5D-5L between groups.
- Change in EQ-5D-5L from the time of the fracture to 1 year after the fracture [ Time Frame: At the time of the fracture and 1 year after the fracture. ]Change in EQ-5D-5L between groups.
- Group difference in radiographic fracture pattern- standing radiograph [ Time Frame: At 1 year after the fracture. ]The patients will do a standing, whole spine radiograph. The degree of fracture compression, local and global kyphosis will be registered.
- Group difference in radiographic pattern- supine computed tomography at 1 year [ Time Frame: At 1 year after the fracture. ]The patients will do a computed tomography (CT) 1 year after the fracture. The degree of fracture compression, local and global kyphosis and adjacent segment degeneration will be compared.
- Group difference in radiographic pattern- supine computed tomography at 3 to 4 months [ Time Frame: At 3 to 4 months after the fracture. ]The patients will do a computed tomography (CT) at 3 to 4 months after the fracture. The degree of fracture compression, local and global kyphosis and adjacent segment degeneration will be compared.
- Change in radiographic pattern- supine computed tomography - from the time of fracture to 3 to 4 months [ Time Frame: From the time of fracture to 3 to 4 months after the fracture. ]The patients will do a computed tomography (CT). The degree of fracture compression, local and global kyphosis and adjacent segment degeneration will be registered. Group comparisons of radiological changes will be performed.
- Change in radiographic pattern- supine computed tomography - from 3 to 4 months to 1 year from the fracture [ Time Frame: From 3 to 4 months to 1 year from the fracture after the fracture. ]The patients will do a computed tomography (CT). The degree of fracture compression, local and global kyphosis and adjacent segment degeneration will be registered. Group comparisons of radiological changes will be performed.
- Change in radiographic pattern- supine computed tomography - from the time of fracture to 1 year [ Time Frame: From the time of fracture to 1 year after the fracture. ]The patients will do a computed tomography (CT). The degree of fracture compression, local and global kyphosis and adjacent segment degeneration will be registered. Group comparisons of radiological changes will be performed.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 1 year [ Time Frame: At 1 year after the fracture. ]The patients will do a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The degree of fracture compression, local and global kyphosis, adjacent segment degeneration and extent of any soft tissue injuries will be registered. Group comparisons of MRI changes will be performed.
- Imaging in correlation to patient reported outcome measures at 3 to 4 months from the fracture [ Time Frame: At 3 to 4 months from the fracture ]The degree of fracture compression, local and global kyphosis, adjacent segment degeneration and extent of any soft tissue injuries registered on computed tomography (CT) will be compared to patient reported outcome measures at 3 to 4 months
- Imaging in correlation to patient reported outcome measures at 1 year from the fracture [ Time Frame: At 1 year after the fracture. ]The degree of fracture compression, local and global kyphosis, adjacent segment degeneration and extent of any soft tissue injuries registered on X-ray, CT and MRI will be compared to patient reported outcome measures at 1 year.
- Adverse events [ Time Frame: 1 year after last subject recruitment ]The subjects will be linked with The National Board of Health and Welfare National Patient Register by using their Swedish personal identity number (PIN). Data on the level of inpatient and outpatient healthcare, spinal surgery during follow up and adverse events (i.e., postoperative infections, thromboembolism, etc.) will be collected and compared between the study groups. In Norway similar data will be collected from the patient files and questionnaires.
- Drug prescription/consumption [ Time Frame: 1 year after last subject recruitment ]Data on analgesics and antibiotics prescribed will be collected from The National Board of Health and Welfare Swedish Prescribed Drug Register. Collected prescriptions will be assessed as dichotomous data (collected/not collected) at different time intervals; 0 to 4 months and 4 months to 1 year. In Norway similar data will be collected from the patient files and questionnaires.
- Sick leave [ Time Frame: 1 year after last subject recruitment ]Data from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency / Statistics Sweden will be collected to compare sick leave and loss of income due to the fracture. Data will be stratified based on the presence or absence of sick leave before the fracture event. Data on total time on sick leave as well as the diagnosis used for sick leave will be collected. In Norway similar data will be collected from the patient files and questionnaires.
- Individual cost from the time of fracture to 3 to 4 months [ Time Frame: From the time of fracture to 3 to 4 months after the fracture. ]The number of outpatient and telephone contacts (physician, nurse, physiotherapist) and salary losses the fracture and treatment have resulted in will be collected from patient files and official health registries and compared between the groups.
- Individual cost from the time of fracture to 1 year [ Time Frame: From the time of fracture to 1 year after the fracture. ]The number of outpatient and telephone contacts (physician, nurse, physiotherapist) and salary losses the fracture and treatment have resulted in will be collected from patient files and official health registries and compared between the groups.
- Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio [ Time Frame: 1 year after last subject recruitment ]Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) will be calculated for each group as measured by EQ-5D-5L. Combining cost and QALY yields the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of the surgical intervention as compared to non-surgical care.
- Mortality at 1 year [ Time Frame: 1 year after last subject recruitment ]Mortality, including the cause of death, will be collected from the National Board of Health and Welfare Cause of Death Register. In Norway data will be collected from official registries.
- Mortality at 5 year [ Time Frame: 5 years after last subject recruitment ]Mortality, including the cause of death, will be collected from the National Board of Health and Welfare Cause of Death Register. In Norway data will be collected from official registries.
- Mortality at 10 years [ Time Frame: 10 years after last subject recruitment ]Mortality, including the cause of death, will be collected from the National Board of Health and Welfare Cause of Death Register. In Norway data will be collected from official registries.
- Oswestry Disability index (ODI) at 5 years [ Time Frame: At 5 years after the fracture. ]ODI are planned to be collected at 5 years.
- Oswestry Disability index (ODI) at 10 years [ Time Frame: At 10 years after the fracture. ]ODI are planned to be collected at 10 years.
- Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SMFA) at 5 years [ Time Frame: At 5 years after the fracture. ]SMFA are planned to be collected after 5 years.
- Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SMFA) at 10 years [ Time Frame: At10 years after the fracture. ]SMFA are planned to be collected after 10 years.
- EQ-5D-5L at 5 years [ Time Frame: At 5 years after the fracture. ]EQ-5D-5L are planned to be collected after 5 years.
- EQ-5D-5L at 10 years [ Time Frame: At10 years after the fracture. ]EQ-5D-5L are planned to be collected after 10 years.
- Sick leave at 5 years [ Time Frame: At 5 years after the fracture. ]Long-term data on sick leave are to be collected from the Social Insurance Agency at 5 years to compare difference in long-term sick leave between study groups. In Norway similar data will be collected from patient files and questionnaires.
- Sick leave at 10 years [ Time Frame: At 10 years after the fracture. ]Long-term data on sick leave are to be collected from the Social Insurance Agency at 10 years to compare difference in long-term sick leave between study groups. In Norway similar data will be collected from patient files and questionnaires.
- Social cost at 5 years [ Time Frame: At 5 years after the fracture. ]Analysis of the long-term social cost will be calculated for each treatment by collecting data on cost from sick leave from the Social Insurance Agency, estimated cost from health care visits collected from the National Patient Register and estimated cost on pharmaceutical prescriptions from the Prescribed Drug Register at 5 years. In Norway similar data will be collected from patient files and questionnaires.
- Social cost at 10 years [ Time Frame: At 10 years after the fracture. ]Analysis of the long-term social cost will be calculated for each treatment by collecting data on cost from sick leave from the Social Insurance Agency, estimated cost from health care visits collected from the National Patient Register and estimated cost on pharmaceutical prescriptions from the Prescribed Drug Register at 10 years. In Norway similar data will be collected from patient files and questionnaires.

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years to 66 Years (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- A single level thoracolumbar (Th10-L3) burst fracture, A3 or A4, according to the AO Spine classification
- Aged 18-66 years
- Informed consent
- Acute injury with diagnosis and treatment within 2 weeks
- May have minor fractures in adjacent vertebras if these fractures in themselves would not have resulted in any treatment
- May have a single nerve root injury
Exclusion Criteria:
- Unable to consent, no consent given or not informed
- Neurological injury involving more than a single level root, i.e., spinal cord and/or cauda equina injury
- Definite rupture of the posterior tension band (through bony and/or ligamentous structures) verified on MRI
- Patients with ankylosing spinal disorders spanning the fracture area
- Prior spinal surgeries within the fractured area
- Open vertebral fracture
- Additional injury which would impair early ambulation, e.g., long bone fractures, severe head injury, long-lasting intensive care
- Patients not deemed suitable due to severe co-morbidities. (E.g., established osteoporosis that would impair the possibility to maintain integrity of spinal implants, pathological fractures, severe cardiac or pulmonary compromise, or other systemic disease that would result in such high anesthesiologic risk that surgery would not be attempted.)
- Patients already included in the study cannot be randomized again if they get an additional spine fracture

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT05003180
Contact: Simon Blixt, MD | +46702518628 | simon.blixt@ki.se | |
Contact: Maria Wikzén, RN | +46736994845 | maria.wikzén@regionstockholm.se |
Norway | |
Haukeland University Hospital | Recruiting |
Bergen, Norway | |
Contact: Truls Rokne Hanestad truls.rokne.hanestad@helse-bergen.no | |
Akershus University Hospital | Recruiting |
Oslo, Norway | |
Contact: Abdullah Cetinkaya abdullah.cetinkaya@ahus.no | |
Oslo University Hospital | Recruiting |
Oslo, Norway | |
Contact: Filip Dolatowski +4745212525 fido@ous-hf.no | |
Stavanger University Hospital | Recruiting |
Stavanger, Norway | |
Contact: Anne Kristin Reve anne.kristin.reve@sus.no | |
Sweden | |
Sahlgrenska University Hospital | Recruiting |
Gothenburg, Sweden | |
Contact: Olof Westin, MD, PhD +46739521538 olof.westin@gmail.com | |
Halmstad Hospital | Recruiting |
Halmstad, Sweden | |
Contact: Martin Kempny, MD martin.kempny@regionhalland.se | |
Ryhov Hospital | Recruiting |
Jönköping, Sweden | |
Contact: Håkan Löfgren, MD, PhD hakan.lofgren@rjl.se | |
Kalmar Hospital | Recruiting |
Kalmar, Sweden | |
Contact: Erik Vestberg, MD erik.vestberg@regionkalmar.se | |
Linköping University Hospital | Recruiting |
Linköping, Sweden | |
Contact: Anders Olai, MD anders.olai@regionostergotland.se | |
Skåne University Hospital | Recruiting |
Malmö, Sweden | |
Contact: Anders K Möller, MD, PhD anders.k.moller@skane.se | |
Contact: Ralph Hasserius, MD, PhD ralph.hasserius@skane.se | |
Karolinska University Hospital | Recruiting |
Stockholm, Sweden, 14186 | |
Contact: Simon Blixt, PhD Student +46702518628 simon.blixt@ki.se | |
Contact: Paul Gerdhem, MD, PhD +46736994409 paul.gerdhem@ki.se | |
Stockholm South General Hospital | Recruiting |
Stockholm, Sweden | |
Contact: Ted Eneqvist, MD, PhD ted.eneqvist@regionstockholm.se | |
University Hospital of Umeå | Recruiting |
Umeå, Sweden | |
Contact: Sebastian Mukka, MD, PhD +46730867111 sebastian.mukka@umu.se | |
Contact: Lukas Bobinski, MD, PhD lukas.bobinski@umu.se | |
Uppsala University Hospital | Recruiting |
Uppsala, Sweden | |
Contact: Paul Gerdhem, MD, PhD +46736994409 paul.gerdhem@uu.se | |
Contact: Monica Sjöholm, Coordinator +46704250043 | |
Central Hospital of Västerås | Recruiting |
Västerås, Sweden | |
Contact: Olga Seikina, MD | |
Örebro University Hospital | Recruiting |
Örebro, Sweden | |
Contact: Anders Joelson, MD, PhD anders.joelson@regionorebrolan.se | |
Contact: Freyr Gauti Sigmundsson, MD, PhD freyr.sigmundsson@regionorebrolan.se |
Principal Investigator: | Paul Gerdhem, MD, PhD | Uppsala University, Uppsala University Hospital and Karolinska Institutet | |
Study Director: | Filip Dolatowski, MD, PhD | Oslo University Hospital |
Publications:
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
Responsible Party: | Paul Gerdhem, MD, PhD, Professor, Uppsala University |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT05003180 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
SB-PG-PF-OW-SM-2021-SunBurst 2020-00493 ( Other Grant/Funding Number: The Swedish Research Council ) |
First Posted: | August 12, 2021 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | January 26, 2023 |
Last Verified: | January 2023 |
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: | |
Plan to Share IPD: | Yes |
Plan Description: | IPD underlying published manuscripts will be accessible for other researchers. |
Supporting Materials: |
Study Protocol |
Time Frame: | The study protocol will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. All source data including informed consents from each participating study center, a copy of the completed study database, original protocol with amendments and the final report will be stored at the Karolinska University Hospital for a minimum period of 10 years after termination of the trial. |
Access Criteria: | The investigators in charge will be responsible for reviewing access requests. Crude data, randomization procedures and intervention details can be shared with other researchers upon request. |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | No |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
Thoracolumbar spine Burst fractures Thoracic or lumbar vertebrae Register-based |
Randomized controlled trial Conservative treatment Surgical treatment Non-surgical treatment |
Fractures, Bone Wounds and Injuries |