Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Not Yet Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT07366203

Adjustable Carbon Fiber Sternal Plates for Sternotomy Closure

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a new medical device (SC03 plates) to close the sternum after a sternotomy in patients that have been operated of a cardiac surgery, is safe and effective. The main question it aims to answer is:

Do patients that have the sternum closed with the SC03 plates present a stable sternum one month after surgery?

Researchers will compare the SC03 plates with stainless steel wires (current standard of care to close the sternum).

Participants will:

* be implanted with the SC03 or stainless steel wires. * visit the clinic one month and six months after surgery * Keep a diary of their symptoms and analgesia use

Not Yet Recruiting

Trial opening soon.

Get Notified

Key information

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patient ≥ 18 years old.
  • Patient who must undergo surgery in which a median or an upper partial sternotomy is indicated.
  • Patients capable of giving their voluntary informed consent to participate in the clinical investigation and from whom written consent has been obtained.
  • Patient able and willing to meet the protocol requirements and to follow postoperative care instructions

Exclusion criteria

  • Patient with sternal anomalies, such as bone tumours located in the sternum.
  • Patient with limited sternum bone blood supply.
  • Patient with suspected or known allergies or intolerances to the implants materials: PEEK, carbon fibre, titanium, stainless steel.
  • Patient with severe osteoporosis or other degenerative bone diseases that affect the sternum.
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding patient or patient planning to become pregnant during the first 6 months after surgery.
  • Patient who is currently using opioid analgesics (e.g., morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, tramadol) for the management of chronic or acute pain.
  • Patient with diagnosis of dementia with a mental status score (MMSE) < 20.
  • Patient with life expectancy lower than 6 months.
  • Patient with any other medical process that may compromise or limit the adequate functionality of the implants.
  • Patient involved in other interventionist clinical trial or that have been involved in other interventionist clinical trial during the previous 4 weeks.
  • Patient with signs of latent or active infection or inflammation on the surgical site.
  • Patient with insufficient quantity or quality of sternum bone, or other severe structural bone damage.
  • Patient for whom the closure technique cannot ensure sufficient sternal fixation.
  • Parasternal sternotomy.
  • Patient with intraoperative conditions that may compromise or limit the adequate functionality of the implants or that may prevent the surgeon to use the sternal closure system or that cannot be closed following the product instructions for use

Treatment and study plan

SC03 Plating system

Device

Adjustable carbon fiber sternal plates

Stainless steel wires

Device

Nonabsorbable, sterile, surgical sutures used in sternal closure

Primary outcomes

  1. Sternal stability

    Time frame: 1 month post operatively

    Sternal stability measured by clinical assessment using the sternal instability scale (SIS), with grades 0 to 3 where 0 is "Clinically stable sternum" and 3 is "Completely separated sternum - entire length"

Secondary outcomes

  1. Safety of the SC03 Plating System

    Time frame: Perioperative, 1 month and 6 months postoperatively.

    Incidence of Device Deficiencies, AE and SAE with a possible, probable or causal relationship with the device or the procedure.

  2. Reinterventions

    Time frame: 1 month and 6 months postoperatively

    Incidence and cause of surgical reinterventions

  3. Infections

    Time frame: First month and six months postoperatively.

    Incidence of sternal superficial and deep wound infections (mediastinitis)

  4. Sternal dehiscence

    Time frame: First month and six months postoperatively

    Incidence of sternal dehiscence (without infection)

  5. Sternotomy closure duration

    Time frame: Surgery

    Duration of sternotomy closure procedure (minutes)

  6. Easiness of use of the closure method

    Time frame: Surgery

    Surgeon-reported ease of use and satisfaction score (Likert Scale, from 1 to 5)

  7. Sternal Pain

    Time frame: Baseline, 7 days, 1 month and 6 months postoperatively.

    Patient-reported sternal pain at rest and during forced cough, measured by Numerical Rating Scale (0-10)

  8. Analgesia required

    Time frame: Day 7, 1 month and 6 months postoperatively

    Type and cumulative dose of analgesia (total morphine milligram equivalents (MME))

  9. Post-surgery blood loss

    Time frame: 12 hours postoperatively

    Chest tube drainage (mL)

  10. Blood loss

    Time frame: 48 hours after surgery

    Haemoglobin drop (g/dL)

  11. Blood loss

    Time frame: 48 hour after surgery

    Number of administered perioperative blood transfusions of packed red blood cells

  12. Intensive Care Unit stay duration

    Time frame: from surgery date to Intensive care unit discharge date (up to 150 days)]

    Intensive Care Unit stay duration (hours)

  13. hospitalization duration

    Time frame: from surgery date to hospital discharge date (up to 150 days)

    hospitalization duration (days)

  14. sternal stability

    Time frame: 7 days and 6 months postoperatively

    Sternal stability clinically assessed with the sternal instability scale (from 0 to 3)

  15. Upper Limb functional index

    Time frame: Before surgery, one month and 6 months postoperatively

    Patients will assess their upper limbs functional capacity using the Upper Limb functional index (ULFI-Sp)

  16. Quality of life - EQ5D5L

    Time frame: Before surgery, one month and 6 months postoperatively

    Patients will complete the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire

  17. Chest bulging

    Time frame: 1 month after surgery

    Presence of visible bulging related to the sternal closure method on the sternotomy area

  18. Pulmonary function

    Time frame: Baseline, day 7 and 1 month postoperatively

    Pulmonary function (FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC) measured by spirometry

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Laia Rofes, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

+34935944726

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

NEOS Surgery

Industry

Collaborators

  • Fundacio Privada Mon Clinic Barcelona

Registry information

Official study title

Clinical Investigation to Evaluate the Use of Adjustable Carbon Fiber Sternal Plates for Sternotomy Closure

Acronym: FIX IT ALL

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Jan 26, 2026
Registry last updated
Jan 26, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.