The long term effectiveness of 40% salicylic acid plasters on corns

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  The long term effectiveness of 40% salicylic acid plasters on corns

• Contact name

  WESLEY VERNON

• Sponsor organisation

  Sheffield Health and Social Research Consortium

• Eudract number

  2008-005313-21

• ISRCTN Number

  n/a

• Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

  n/a

• Research summary

  Corns are a common foot complaint and podiatrists treat them by cutting them away with a scalpel. While other types of treatment using corn plasters exist, they have not been popular due to potential problems when patients have used these as home remedies. A small audit conducted by the applicants has shown that corn plasters can be very effective when they are first applied and that when used by podiatrists on their patients, they are safe. However, it is not known whether the corns remain cured after a longer period of time. The study will look at whether the corns treated with corn plasters have returned over a period of 12 months following initial treatment of up to a month. If the corns have not returned, there will be benefits to patients through the availability of a curative treatment, and to the NHS through more effective use of staff time as patients with healed corns can be discharged from the service allowing more new patients to be assessed. To do this, participants in the corn plaster arm of the study will have corn plasters stuck over their corns. These corns will be assessed each week for up to 4 weeks; although it is anticipated that the corns will have lifted away after the first or second week of application, as cited in previous studies. The effect of the corn plasters compared with the usual treatment of scalpel removal at 12 weekly intervals will be reviewed by an independent podiatrist focusing on long term resolution of the corn (up to 12 months), participant satisfaction with the two treatments, foot disability and pain measures will also be measured. The cost of each intervention will be assessed and compared. Podiatrists delivering the treatment will be asked for their views at the end of the study.

• REC name

  East Midlands - Leicester South Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  09/H0402/7

• Date of REC Opinion

  13 Feb 2009

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion