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BackgroundTotal thyroidectomy is increasingly used as a surgical approach for many thyroid conditions. Subsequently, postoperative hypocalcaemia is observed with increasing frequency, often resulting in prolonged hospital stay, increased use of resources, reduced quality of life and delayed return to work. The administration of vitamin D is essential in the therapy of postoperative hypocalcaemia; calcitriol is most commonly used. What has not been examined so far is whether and how routine preoperative vitamin D prophylaxis using calcitriol can help to prevent postoperative hypocalcaemia. This study evaluates routine preoperative calcitriol prophylaxis for all patients who are to undergo a total thyroidectomy, compared with the current standard of post-treatment, i.e., selective vitamin D treatment for patients with postoperative hypocalcaemia.Methods/designThis clinical observational (minimal interventional clinical trial) trial is a multicentre, prospective, randomized superiority trial with an adaptive design. Datasets will be pseudonymized for analysis. Patients will be randomly allocated (1:1) to the intervention and the control groups. The only intervention is 0.5 μg calcitriol orally twice a day for 3 days prior to surgery. For the primary endpoint measure (number of patients with hypocalcaemia), hypocalcaemia is defined as serum calcium of less than 2.1 mmol/l on any day during the postoperative course; this measure will be analyzed using a Chi-square test comparing the two groups. Secondary endpoint measures, such as number of days to discharge, quality of life, and economic parameters will also be analyzed.DiscussionBy virtue of the direct comparison of clinically and economically relevant endpoints, the efficacy as well as efficiency of preoperative calcitriol prophylaxis of hypocalcaemia will be clarified. These results should be available 24 months after the first patient has been enrolled. The results will be used to inform a revised practice parameter guideline of whether or not to recommend preoperative calcitriol for all patients in whom total thyroidectomy is planned.Trial registrationDeutsches Register Klinischer Studien, DRKS00005615 (Feb.12.2016).

ZusammenfassungDiese Studie untersuchte die Auswirkungen eines funktionskieferorthopädischen Geräts auf die Cervical Range of Motion (CROM) bei Kindern und Jugendlichen. In der Vorbereitungsphase der Studie wurden relevante Kriterien definiert, ein Frage- und Untersuchungsbogen entwickelt sowie ein Konzept zur Umsetzung in einer kieferorthopädischen Fachpraxis konzipiert. Die Messungen erfolgten bei 20 jugendlichen Probanden zu 3 verschiedenen Zeitpunkten (Tag 1, nach 6 Wochen, nach 6 Monaten).Nach 6 Monaten hatte sich die Flexion signifikant verringert. Außerdem wurde festgestellt, dass das Ausmaß der vertikalen Sperrung und des Overbites sowie das skelettale und chronologische Alter signifikanten Einfluss auf die CROM hatten.Das beschriebene Konzept dient als Vorstudie für weitere Studien mit größerem Umfang.