17 October 2017

The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) welcomes the launch of the Nail bed INJury Analysis (NINJA) trial on the 9th July, which is the first plastic surgery study of its kind.

The Surgical Intervention Trials Unit (SITU) at the University of Oxford are co-ordinating the pilot study, funded by British Society for Surgery of the Hand. The team are currently recruiting people across twenty-five sites in the UK. BAPRAS encourages people to come forward and volunteer to support this important research.

Nail bed injuries are common in trauma incidents where fingers have been crushed. Typically, patients who experience this type of injury are toddlers who catch their fingers in closing doors.

BAPRAS has recently highlighted the risk of serious injuries caused by crushed fingers, showing that at least 50,000 toddlers suffer from crushed finger injuries every year, potentially causing lifelong damage. BAPRAS recommend that parents invest in doorstoppers to protect their children.

David Ward, President of BAPRAS: “We fully support the NINJA trial and encourage people to come forward to participate in this vital research. As BAPRAS’s recent awareness campaign highlighted in the national media, crushed-finger injuries are potentially serious. They can have a lifelong impact on the patient. BAPRAS is committed to ensuring the best possible treatment for patients in these cases. By supporting NINJA’s research, BAPRAS is supporting surgeons give the most appropriate and effective treatment.”

The trial will analyse whether nail beds should be replaced or discarded after nail bed repair in children in the event of crushed finger injuries. Currently, the nail is removed and the nail bed is repaired using tiny dissolving stitches. The old nail is then either replaced on the repaired nailbed or discarded to allow a brand new nail to grow before dressings are applied. The NINJA trial will assess which is a better method.

ENDS

Notes to editor

• The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) is a democratic, membership-based organisation for plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeons working in the UK. BAPRAS represents plastic surgeons on behalf of the Royal Colleges and is a proud member of the CSIC. Please visit http://www.bapras.org.uk/ and @BAPRASvoice on Twitter
• The NINJA Pilot Study (funded by the British Society for Surgery of the Hand, BSSH) is a pragmatic multicentre study to assess whether the nail should be replaced or discarded after nail bed repair in children.  The pilot will inform the design and conduct of a larger NINJA study with regards to recruitment, data collection and outcome measurement.  The Surgical Intervention Trials Unit (SITU) at the University of Oxford, will co-ordinate the trial.  This is the first plastic surgery trial of its kind and will form part of a developing research portfolio for the plastic surgery community. More information on NINJA can be found here: https://www.situ.ox.ac.uk/surgical-trials/ninja
• For more information, please contact the BAPRAS press office on 07738 803764 or at BAPRAS@portland-communications.com