News and Insights – July Edition

Topic Highlights:

  • The Institute of Advanced Ultrasound Guided Procedures will soon launch TUTOR – a multicenter randomized controlled trial comparing Ultrasound Guided CTR vs Traditional Open Release. Jump to section
  • Sonex Health commercially released UltraGuideTFR™ for the treatment of trigger finger release. Jump to section
  • Dr. Jay Smith, world renowned MSK ultrasound expert, to lead local MSK Ultrasound Mini-Fellowship programs across the United States. Jump to section
  • Recent HAND journal manuscript: Patients value earlier return to work and smaller incisions for hand procedures. Jump to section

Launching soon: TUTOR
A multicenter randomized controlled trial

The Institute of Advanced Ultrasound Guided Procedures will soon launch TUTOR (Trial of Ultrasound Guided Carpal Tunnel Release Versus Traditional Open Release) – the first multicenter randomized controlled trial in the United States to compare the efficacy and safety of traditional mini-open carpal tunnel release (mOCTR) and carpal tunnel release using UltraGuideCTR and real-time ultrasound guidance.

Enrollment is planned to begin in July. We will make every effort to have the peer-reviewed three-month post-procedure results published by May/June of 2023. Our team is grateful to following participants in the TUTOR study, including the study investigators and members of the Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB):

Study Investigators:

  • Principal Investigator: Kyle R. Eberlin, MD – Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Christopher J. Dy, MD, MPH, FACS – Washington University Orthopedics (Missouri)
  • Mark D. Fischer, MD – Twin Cities Orthopedics (Minnesota)
  • James L. Gluck, MD – Kansas Orthopaedic Center
  • F. Thomas D. Kaplan, MD, FAAOS – Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center
  • Thomas J. McDonald, MD – Sierra Orthopedic Institute (California)
  • Alexander Palmer, DO – Sano Orthopedics (Missouri)
  • Marc E. Walker, MD – University of Mississippi
  • James F. Watt, DO – Orthopaedic Associates (Florida)

DSMB Members:

  • DSMB Chairman and Independent Medical Reviewer: Kevin C. Chung, MD, MS – Charles B. G. De Nancrede Professor of Surgery, Plastic Surgery and Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Michigan
  • Julie E. Adams, MD – Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, The University of Tennessee College of Medicine – Chattanooga
  • Warren C. Hammert, DDS, MD – Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Duke University

Up next:

Later this summer, The Institute of Advanced Ultrasound Guided Procedures will launch a prospective multicenter, single arm trial to study carpal tunnel release with UltraGuideCTR and real-time ultrasound guidance in an office procedure room setting. Watch for more details in the next issue.

UltraGuideTFR now available to treat trigger finger

On April 27, Sonex Health and The Institute of Advanced Ultrasound Guided Procedures announced full market release of UltraGuideTFR – providing physicians with a sleek and simple way to perform trigger finger release under ultrasound guidance. It’s the second device in the UltraGuide family. During the limited market release, physicians provided user experience feedback on 100 trigger finger release procedures using UltraGuideTFR and real-time ultrasound guidance. Results included:1

  • Ninety-seven (97) percent of the procedures were performed in the office, procedure room or ambulatory surgery center under local anesthesia.
  • There were no complications, and a complete release of the tendon sheath and A1 pulley was confirmed for all procedures.
  • Physicians rated the performance of the device and procedure on a scale of 1-5 (1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree) with the following results:
    • Easy to use = 4.98 (n=100)
    • Easy to perform the procedure = 4.98 (n=100)
    • Will use with future TFR patients = 4.98 (n=100)

Talk to your Sonex Health Practice Development Consultant about incorporating UltraGuideTFR into your practice.

Sonex Health's UltraGuideTFR medical device

Dr. Jay Smith to lead 20 local MSK ultrasound mini-fellowship programs across the United States

Coming to a city near you!
Dr. Jay Smith, Co-Founder/CMO of Sonex Health

The Institute of Advanced Ultrasound Guided Procedures and Sonex Health are hosting local MSK ultrasound mini-fellowship events for physicians across the United States.

The education will be led by Jay Smith, MD, an internationally-renowned MSK ultrasound expert, and co-founder/CMO of Sonex Health. The mini-fellowship program features hands-on cadaveric training. Dr. Smith will be assisted by our Clinical Service Managers and Practice Development Consultants.

Who Should Attend?

Physicians who are not currently performing CTR/TFR with real-time ultrasound guidance and are interested in incorporating the procedures into their practices. Feel free to share this opportunity with your peers!

Live Demonstrations Followed by Hands-on Practice and Instruction:

  • Ultrasound 101 – An introduction to obtaining a clear ultrasound image by adjusting the four main controls on any ultrasound machine and scanning technique
  • Sonographic appearance of normal tissues in the hand, wrist and fingers
  • Measuring cross-sectional area of the median nerve
  • Ultrasound guided injections
  • Introduction to Carpal Tunnel Release using real-time ultrasound guidance
  • Introduction to Trigger Finger Release using real-time ultrasound guidance

Where:

These complimentary programs can be held in your office or a local hotel, depending on number of registrants.

Limited space – First come, first serve. Inquire today about hosting or attending an MSK ultrasound mini-fellowship. Please contact us to be in touch with a Sonex Health Practice Development Consultant or register below.

Patients value earlier return to work and smaller incisions for hand procedures

In a study published in the November 2021 issue of the journal HAND, authors sought to identify the value hand clinic patients place on a faster return to work (RTW) and a smaller incision if they were faced with surgery.

Patient willingness to pay is an economic concept used to assess the value that a patient places on health care interventions and services.

The results indicated that about 2/3 of patients were willing to pay at least some out-of-pocket costs for a 3-day faster RTW, and about 3/4 were willing to pay to RTW 7 or 14 days faster. About 50% of patients were willing to pay for a 1 cm smaller incision and about 75% for a 2, 3, 4 or 5 cm smaller incision. Approximately 10% of patients were willing to pay up to $2,500 for a faster RTW or smaller incision size.

These results indicate, that given the choice, hand surgery patients may choose a procedure that provides a faster return to work and smaller incision.

References: