N/A
Completed N=127
Early Percutaneous Cryoablation for Pain Control After Rib Fractures Among Elderly Patients
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04482582 ↗Enrolled (actual)
127
Serious AEs
21.8%
Results posted
Mar 2026
Primary outcomePrimary: Acute Pain Assessed by Numeric Pain Score — 5.61; 5.93 score on a scale — p=0.493
Summary
The purpose of this study is to provide long-term pain control for elderly patients with rib fractures in order to minimize their risk of complications and return them to baseline functional capacity
Outcome Measures
| Outcome | Result | p-value |
|---|---|---|
| PRIMARY Acute Pain Assessed by Numeric Pain Score |
5.61; 5.93 | 0.493 |
| SECONDARY 30-day Mortality |
0; 0 | — |
| SECONDARY Number of Participants Requiring ICU Admission |
6; 6 | 0.947 |
| SECONDARY Length of Hospital Stay |
4; 5.5 | 0.77 |
| SECONDARY Use of Narcotic Equivalents |
24.11; 15.00; 0; 0; 0; 0 | 0.285 |
| SECONDARY Number of Participants With a Rib-specific Readmission Within 30 Days of Discharge |
0; 1 | 0.293 |
| SECONDARY The McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) and Pain Rating Index (PRI) Scale Score |
2.72; 1.73; 4.64; 1.50; 1.15; 0.41 | 0.042 sig |
| SECONDARY The Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOS-E) Score |
2; 0; 13; 17; 3; 1 | 0.698 |
| SECONDARY Short Form (SF-12) Health Survey Scale Score |
32.93; 29.89; 55.14; 55.65; 51.38; 47.96 | 0.962 |
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion criteria
i) Patients greater than 65 years with any acute rib fracture
ii) Pain score equal to or greater than 5 with deep inspiration.
iii) Presenting and admitted to Stanford Emergency Department
Exclusion criteria
i) Radiographic evidence of metastasis to ribs
ii) Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score 1.5, Pat < 100)
vi) Other factors precluding cryoablation at IR attending's discretion
vii) If only ribs broken are 1,2 or 10,11, 12
Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04482582). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication. Informational only — not medical advice.