Bioresorbable airway splint for treating airway collapse in children

A Multi-Center Trial to Assess the Safety and Effectiveness of a Bioresorbable Tracheobronchial Splint in Pediatric Subjects With Clinically Significant Tracheobronchomalacia

NA · University of Michigan · NCT06406452

This study is testing a new 3D-printed airway splint to see if it can help children with airway collapse breathe better without needing a tracheostomy tube.

Quick facts

PhaseNA
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment35 (estimated)
Ages1 Week to 3 Years
SexAll
SponsorUniversity of Michigan (other)
Locations1 site (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
Trial IDNCT06406452 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This clinical trial aims to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a three-dimensional printed bioresorbable airway splint designed to keep open the airway in children suffering from tracheobronchomalacia (TBM). The splint is intended for children who are unable to wean off mechanical ventilation or are dependent on a tracheostomy tube. The device is absorbed by the body over approximately five years, potentially providing a long-term solution for airway support. The study will involve multiple sites as they are onboarded to participate in the trial.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this study are children aged 1 week to 4 years with clinically significant tracheobronchomalacia who are unable to wean off mechanical ventilation or are dependent on a tracheostomy tube.

Not a fit: Patients who do not have clinically significant tracheobronchomalacia or those who are older than 4 years may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this treatment could significantly improve the quality of life for children with severe airway collapse by reducing dependence on mechanical ventilation and tracheostomy tubes.

How similar studies have performed: While this approach is innovative, similar studies using bioresorbable materials for airway support have shown promise, indicating potential for success.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Subject must have clinically significant tracheobronchomalacia and:

  1. be unable to wean off of mechanical ventilation, and/or
  2. be currently dependent on a tracheostomy tube, and/or
  3. meet current indications for a tracheostomy or another surgical intervention for TBM
* Subjects must have a life expectancy of at least 2 years, exclusive of TBM
* Subjects must have a parent or legal guardian capable of giving consent on behalf of the subject, and must be willing and able to complete the requirements of clinical trial follow-up
* Subject must have a physician willing to provide follow-up clinical data, including a bronchoscopy at 2 years
* Subjects must be greater than 1 week of age and less than 4 years of age. (Infant subjects born preterm, with low birth weight, or small for gestational age are eligible for trial enrollment if their comorbidities do not present a contraindication to surgical intervention for subjects TBM and airways are of a size that can appropriately be treated with the range of splint sizes offered in this clinical trial)

Patency-Based Pre-Operative Inclusion Criteria:

\- Subjects must have tracheobronchomalacia in the trachea, left main bronchus, or right main bronchus a minimum patency of less than 50% in one of these regions

* Screening: In order for a subject to be sent to a clinical trial site for evaluation for the clinical trial, a subject must have tracheobronchomalacia with evidence of less than 50% minimum patency based on a Computed Tomography Scan (CT), Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or bronchoscopic exam at referring institution confirmed by an imaging or operative note from the local physician.
* At Enrollment: The subject must have tracheobronchomalacia with minimum patency of less than 50% in the trachea and/or left mainstem bronchus and/or right mainstem bronchus, based on expiration/inspiration CT performed at a clinical trial site performed during visit 1

Intra-Operative Inclusion Criteria:

\- The surgeon can safely dissect out the malacic trachea or bronchus/bronchi in order to place the splint

Pre-Operative Exclusion Criteria:

* Subject has significant fixed anatomic tracheal stenosis
* Subject has untreated complete tracheal rings
* Subject has single-lung anatomy
* Subject has single-ventricle cardiac anatomy
* Subject has external compression due to active malignancy, active infection, or an undrained cyst
* Subject has a non-bioresorbable airway stent. Recent removal of any stent will require verification of integrity of the airway wall
* Subject has a contraindication to surgery other than airway compromise
* Subject has a known hypersensitivity to polycaprolactone or hydroxyapatite, and/or a previous unusual reaction to bioresorbable sutures
* Subject has a genetic defect of cartilage formation
* Subject has significant bronchomalacia distal to the mainstem as the predominant source of subject's airway obstruction
* Membranous posterior wall intrusion is the predominant form of collapse

Where this trial is running

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Conditions: Tracheobronchomalacia, Children, Airway splint, Three-dimensional printed, Multi-stie

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.