Real-time bone perfusion imaging to guide cleaning out infected bone
Official title: Real-time Perfusion Imaging Guided Bone Debridement in Fracture Related Infection - A Precision Approach to Debridement
Funded at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic · NIH-11363874 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A real-time imaging tool helps surgeons remove only the infected, poorly perfused bone during treatment of infections after fractures, aiming to improve healing and reduce the need for repeat surgeries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lebanon, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2020 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $620,313 |
| NIH project number | 2R01AR077157-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11363874 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with fracture-related infection needing surgical debridement.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without infection or those not undergoing debridement may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on using live perfusion data during surgery to guide how much bone to remove in fracture-related infections. By measuring blood flow in bone in real time, surgeons can make objective decisions rather than relying on intuition alone. The goal is to reduce treatment failures and save patients from additional surgeries and longer recoveries. Previous work showed that low perfusion after debridement predicts recurrence, and this grant seeks to advance that approach for broader clinical use.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could experience fewer reoperations, better bone healing, and shorter hospital stays.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier intraoperative perfusion imaging showed promise in predicting infection recurrence and guiding debridement decisions.
Where this research is happening
-
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic
Lebanon, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gitajn, Ida L — Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic
- Study coordinator: Gitajn, Ida L
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.