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CHARLOTTE, NC

Osteoporosis and Fracture Trials

Nine bone studies are enrolling near Charlotte NC, and every one of them is for people who have already broken something. None treats thin bones, and we would rather say so at the top. Payment is provided for eligible participants.

9

Open Near Charlotte

0

That Treat Osteoporosis

+/- $100

Per Visit

New here? Read how this page works

First, here is the honest picture. Nine studies are open here and none of them treats thin bones. So here is how to use this page.

  1. Ask for a bone scan and write down your T score. Because that single number decides which studies could ever take you.
  2. Ask for a FRAX estimate too. Notably, it takes two minutes and one nearby study uses twenty percent as a cut off.
  3. If you have broken something in a simple fall, ask who is looking at why. In fact, that question is the one that usually never gets asked.
  4. Finally, tap the button. Then we check you against every study we track and tell you which ones fit.

Of course, checking never signs you up for anything. You are only seeing where you might fit.

Studies Open Near Charlotte Right Now

Nine in total, and all of them are trauma research. So the honest headline is nine for broken bones and none for thin ones.

For people who have just broken something

These recruit during the hospital admission, so they cannot be arranged in advance. Every one compares two real treatments, and none uses a fake surgery.

For a Shattered Heel Bone

Wake Forest / Surgery study

A shattered heel is one of the hardest injuries in bone and joints to get right. The joint underneath often turns arthritic later, and many people end up having a second surgery to fuse it. This asks whether it is better to fuse it during the first surgery instead. Both groups get a real surgery by a trauma surgeon, so there is no fake surgery. Three sites run it around Charlotte.

Surgery study, 218 people No dummy

Payment is not published.

Check eligibility →
More details

Why researchers are excited: the second surgery years later is the part nobody warns you about. Meanwhile, this is the study that decides whether it can be avoided.

Who this study is looking for

  • Having surgery for a displaced break through the heel joint
  • Also, A severe grade, or a middling grade with an added severity feature
  • Besides that, able to attend follow up at the site for a year
  • Finally, aged 18 or over

Probably not a fit if: a body mass index over 40 rules you out. Also, if your surgeon plans a particular wide approach, which quietly excludes a lot of people. Notably, speaking neither English nor Spanish also excludes.

  • Placebo group: None. Both groups get a real, accepted surgery.
  • How long: Twelve months.
  • Clinic visits: About 5 or 6 in person, at six weeks, three months, six months and twelve months, each with X rays.
  • Phone calls: None published.
  • Most invasive part: Open heel surgery with plates and screws, and in one group a permanent fusion. Also a long period of not putting weight through the foot afterwards.
  • Setting: Outpatient.
  • Where it runs: Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte NC 28203; OrthoCarolina Foot and Ankle, Charlotte NC 28204; and Atrium Health Cabarrus, Concord NC 28025.
  • Drive from Charlotte: Two sites are inside Charlotte and one is at Concord, about 22 miles north east.
  • There is a real trade to weigh. Fusing the joint stiffens the movement that lets your foot roll on uneven ground, but it may prevent a second surgery later.
  • Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

For a Break Just Above the Knee

Wake Forest with a defence grant / Surgery study

A break at the bottom of the thigh bone fails to heal in roughly one person in five. When that happens it means more surgery and often more than a year off. This compares fixing it with one implant, which is standard, against two implants for extra stiffness. Both groups are fixed properly by a trauma surgeon, so nobody is left unfixed. Two sites run it, at Charlotte and Concord.

Surgery study, 144 people No dummy

Payment is not published.

Check eligibility →
More details

Why researchers are excited: one in five failing to heal is a bad number, and it has not moved in years. Meanwhile, both arms here are real surgery rather than anything experimental.

Who this study is looking for

  • A displaced break at the lower end of the thigh bone, treated surgically
  • Also, an injury pattern that could take two implants
  • Besides that, able to follow up at the enrolling hospital
  • Finally, aged 18 or over

Probably not a fit if: a break caused by a fall from standing height rules you out. That is the single biggest filter, because it is exactly how most older people break this bone. Also, a body mass index over 40, and injuries elsewhere that would stop you returning to work.

  • Placebo group: None. Both groups get a real fixation, and only the number of implants differs.
  • How long: Twelve months.
  • Clinic visits: About 5 or 6 in person, at six weeks, three months, six months and twelve months, each with X rays.
  • Phone calls: None published.
  • Most invasive part: Open surgery on the thigh bone, with more metal and a bigger exposure in one group. Also strength and balance testing on machines at the twelve month visit.
  • Setting: Outpatient.
  • Where it runs: Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte NC 28204; and Atrium Health Cabarrus, Concord NC 28025.
  • Drive from Charlotte: Charlotte and Concord, the latter about 22 miles north east.
  • Read the fall rule carefully. If you broke it in a simple fall at home you are not eligible, which is counterintuitive and catches people out.
  • Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Stopping Infection in an Open Shin Break

Wake Forest / Approved treatment study

When a shin bone breaks through the skin, deep infection is the complication that ruins outcomes. The bone is fixed with a metal rod down the middle. This compares the standard rod against one coated in antibiotic, so the drug sits exactly where infection starts. Both groups get a real rod and the full standard antibiotic and wound care. So the comparison is genuine standard treatment, not a dummy.

Approved treatment study, 484 people No dummy

Payment is not published.

Check eligibility →
More details

Why researchers are excited: deep infection after an open shin break is what drives late amputations. Meanwhile, nothing about your surgery is withheld in either group.

Who this study is looking for

  • An open shin fracture of a moderate or severe grade
  • Also, needing a rod down the middle of the bone
  • Besides that, able to follow up for twelve months
  • Finally, aged 18 or over

Probably not a fit if: an allergy to vancomycin or gentamicin rules you out. Also, speaking neither English nor Spanish, and pregnancy. Notably, being unable to attend for a year excludes you, which is a real barrier after this injury.

  • Placebo group: None. Both groups get a real rod and the full standard antibiotic protocol.
  • How long: Twelve months.
  • Clinic visits: About 5 or 6 in person, at six weeks, three months, six months and twelve months. The record names those points outright.
  • Phone calls: Some follow up is done as patient interviews, though the number is not published.
  • Most invasive part: The fracture surgery itself, and more surgery if infection or non healing follows. So the study adds an implant coating rather than a procedure.
  • Setting: Outpatient.
  • Where it runs: Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte NC 28203; and Atrium Health Cabarrus, Concord NC 28025.
  • Drive from Charlotte: Charlotte and Concord, the latter about 22 miles north east.
  • You are approached after the injury, not before. Enrolment happens during the hospital admission, so this is not something you can arrange in advance.
  • Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

A Records Study With Almost No Rules

Bonesupport / Tracking study

When a surgeon clears a hole or cavity in bone, they pack it with a paste that hardens and is slowly replaced by your own new bone. This simply records how well that material performs in ordinary use. There is no assigning, no control group and nothing withheld. So if your surgeon has already chosen it, joining changes nothing about your treatment. The site is inside Charlotte.

Tracking study, 300 people No dummy

Payment is not published.

Check eligibility →
More details

Why researchers are excited: most of what is known about these materials comes from small trials rather than everyday use. Meanwhile, this is among the easiest studies in either metro to qualify for.

Who this study is looking for

  • Aged 18 or over on the day of surgery
  • Also, receiving this bone filler as part of your treatment
  • Besides that, used in the way the product is licensed for
  • Finally, having read the information sheet and signed consent

Probably not a fit if: only two things exclude you. Anything on the product’s own contraindication list, and any use outside its licence. So that is the entire exclusion list.

  • Placebo group: None. This is a records study of people already having the procedure.
  • How long: Eighteen months of follow up.
  • Clinic visits: Three follow up visits, at six, twelve and eighteen months, with X rays at the first two.
  • Phone calls: None published.
  • Most invasive part: Nothing beyond the surgery you were already having. So the study adds two short questionnaires.
  • Setting: Outpatient.
  • Where it runs: OrthoCarolina, Charlotte NC 28207.
  • Drive from Charlotte: The site is in Charlotte, at OrthoCarolina.
  • This is about as light as research gets. Three visits, two questionnaires and no change to your care at all.
  • Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

And the nearest study that actually measures bone density

This is the one to know about if your bones are thin but not yet osteoporotic. However, it excludes people who already have thin bones at that level, which is worth reading twice.

The Only Real Bone Density Study Near Here

Wake Forest / Approved drug plus exercise

Losing weight on purpose is good for your heart and your joints, and it also thins your bones. Nobody agrees how to stop that. Everyone here does the same group diet programme, and then one of four things is added at random. Those are bone loading exercise, a bone tablet, both, or neither. So a quarter of people get a dummy tablet and no exercise, but everyone still gets the diet programme.

Approved drug study, 900 people Not near you

Payment is not published.

Get on the list →
More details

Why researchers are excited: this is the only study within reach that measures your actual bone density as its main outcome. Meanwhile, it answers a question millions of older people face without any guidance at all.

Who this study is looking for

  • Aged 60 or over, living at home
  • Also, A body mass index over 30, or 25 to 30 with another risk factor
  • Besides that, A T score between minus 1.1 and minus 2.5
  • Finally, currently having routine yearly dental care
  • Also, able to get yourself to the visits

Probably not a fit if: osteoporosis itself rules you out. So does a break of the spine, hip, wrist or shoulder after age 40 in a simple fall. Also, dental work in the last six months or planned in the next year.

  • Placebo group: Yes, for the tablet. However, all four groups get the full diet programme, so nobody gets nothing.
  • How long: A twelve month programme, and up to two years in total.
  • Clinic visits: Nine assessment visits, and the record says so outright. Two groups also attend exercise sessions, and that number is not published.
  • Phone calls: None published.
  • Most invasive part: Blood tests, plus bone scans of the hip, spine, wrist and shin. Also weight training for two of the four groups.
  • Setting: Outpatient.
  • Where it runs: Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem NC 27157.
  • Drive from Charlotte: Winston Salem is about 82 miles north, so roughly an hour and twenty five minutes.
  • The dental question is the surprise one. The bone tablets carry a jaw concern, so recent or planned extractions exclude you.
  • Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Not sure which one fits you?

First, answer a few quick health questions. Then we keep them on file. Finally, we tell you which studies near Charlotte you may fit. No account, no paperwork.

See if I may fit one of these studies →
✓ Takes just a few minutes✓ No cost, no obligation✓ You are never enrolled by checking

Why Bone Research Matters Here in Charlotte

Bones that break more easily than they should

Most people find out the hard way, from a wrist in a supermarket car park or a hip on a wet step. Meanwhile, the fracture gets fixed properly and then nobody comes back to the question of why it happened. So the second fracture arrives with the same surprise as the first. In fact, that gap between fixing the break and treating the bone has a name in the research world.

What is actually being studied here

Rock Hill, Concord, Gastonia, Huntersville, Matthews, Mooresville. This metro has a genuine trauma research engine, at Atrium Health and at OrthoCarolina. Nine studies are open, covering shattered heels, breaks above the knee, open shin fractures and bone filling materials. So the coverage for broken bones is oddly good. However, not one of them treats thin bones, and the nearest study that measures your bone density is about eighty miles north.

So why is there so much for breaks and nothing for thin bones?

  • Trauma centres run trauma research. Atrium Health is a major one. So the studies follow the injuries that arrive through the door.
  • Bone drugs are already approved. Several treatments exist and are underused. Meanwhile, new drug studies for them are rare right now.
  • Density studies need a different setting. They need scanners, dietitians and gyms rather than an operating theatre. So they sit at academic centres.
  • Fracture studies recruit on the ward. You are approached after the injury. Notably, that means you cannot plan for one.
  • The care gap is the real problem. Most people never get their bones checked after a break. In fact, that gap is what several studies are trying to close.

Research is a care option, not a last resort

There is a saying in medicine that research is a care option rather than a last resort. Generally, that is the honest way to think about a study. You are not giving up your own doctor. Instead, you are adding a second set of eyes. Notably, most of the studies here simply follow a surgery you were already having, so they ask very little beyond turning up.

What being on the list actually gets you

This is a directory, not a clinic. So being on the list is simple and it costs nothing.

What you actually get

  • A call from us the day a new study opens near you
  • The clinic name and number, so you call them yourself
  • A check against every other study on our list, not just this one
  • No cost, and no insurance needed
  • Roughly $100 a visit for your time, once you are in a study
  • You are never enrolled by checking

So add it up. Nine studies here for broken bones, none for thin ones, and the nearest density study about eighty miles north. Meanwhile, your T score and your FRAX estimate decide almost all of it about what could ever fit you. So the useful thing to do today is ask for a bone scan and write the number down.

What Is Actually Happening in Bone and Fracture Research

There is a great deal of local research into fixing broken bones, and almost none into the thin bones that break them.

None of the Local Studies Treat Osteoporosis

This is the first thing to understand, and we would rather say it than let you assume otherwise. Everything open in either metro is trauma research, for people who have already broken something. So nobody is assigned to a bone drug and no local study measures your bone density. Meanwhile, the nearest study that actually measures density is at Winston Salem.

Ask for Your T Score

A bone scan gives a number called a T score, and it is the number everything hinges on. Above minus 1 is normal, minus 1 to minus 2.5 is thin, and below minus 2.5 is thin bones. So knowing yours tells you at once which studies could take you. Notably, the study at Winston Salem takes the middle band and excludes the bottom one.

Ask for Your FRAX Score Too

FRAX estimates your chance of a major fracture over the next ten years. It uses your age, weight, history and a few simple questions, and takes two minutes. So it turns a vague worry into a number you can act on. In fact, one nearby study uses a FRAX result of twenty percent as a cut off.

A Fracture From Standing Height Means Something

Breaking a wrist, hip, spine or shoulder in a simple fall after fifty is called a break from a simple fall. It is the clearest warning sign there is that your bones need attention. So the fracture usually gets fixed and then nobody looks at why it happened. Meanwhile, that gap has a name in the research world and it is what several studies are trying to close.

Most Fracture Studies Recruit You in Hospital

You cannot sign up for these in advance, because you are approached after the injury. So the useful thing is knowing they exist before it happens to you or a relative. Also, several of them require a year of follow up at the same hospital. Generally, that is the criterion people fall out on.

Fake Surgery Is Not a Thing Here

Every surgical study on this page compares two real surgeries or two real treatments. So nobody is left unfixed and nobody gets a pretend procedure. In fact, several are simply records studies of a surgery you were already having. Meanwhile, that makes them among the easiest research to agree to.

A Fall From Standing Height Can Exclude You

One thigh bone study near Charlotte excludes injuries caused by a simple fall. That sounds backwards until you realise it was designed around return to work in younger people. So the typical older fracture patient is not eligible for it. Notably, that is worth knowing before anyone travels.

The bone tablets and Your Dentist

The tablets that strengthen bone carry a small concern about jaw healing. So the study at Winston Salem requires you to be having routine dental care already. Also, an extraction in the last six months or planned in the next year excludes you. Meanwhile, that is easy to plan around if you know in advance.

Where Things Actually Stand Locally

Charlotte has a genuine trauma research engine at Atrium Health and OrthoCarolina, with nine open studies. The Midlands has two, both at Prisma Health inside Columbia. So both cities are well covered for broken bones and completely uncovered for thin bones. However, the one real density study is about eighty miles from Charlotte.

Bone Help Near You

Ask for a bone scan and write down your T score. Also, ask for a FRAX estimate, because it takes two minutes and it changes decisions. Finally, if you have broken something in a simple fall, ask who is looking at why. Meanwhile, join the list and we will call you when something opens here.

Research Sites Near Charlotte

Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, Atrium Health Cabarrus at Concord and OrthoCarolina all run bone and fracture research here. So there is real capacity in this metro.

Atrium Health

Multiple Charlotte locations / 161+ active studies

Crohn’s, Heart Failure, COPD, Dementia, Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension

Charlotte’s biggest health system. It is tied to Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Also, it runs far more trials than anyone else nearby.

Visit Website →

American Health Research Network

Ballantyne, NC 28277 / 25 to 30+ active studies

Asthma, COPD, Chronic Cough, Type 2 Diabetes

Led by Dr. Selwyn Spangenthal. It is the biggest private lung research group in Charlotte. Specifically, it has 4 offices: Charlotte, Rock Hill, Lake Norman, and Charleston.

Visit Website →

Monroe Biomedical Research

Monroe, NC / 17+ active studies

Asthma, COPD, Hypertension, Obesity, Ulcerative Colitis

Notably, one of the 5 busiest research sites in the country. Its 6,300 sq ft space can host overnight stays. It is also an SCRS Global Impact Partner.

Visit Website →

Clinical Research of Gastonia

Gastonia, NC / 11+ active studies

Asthma, COPD, Chronic Cough, Idiopathic Hypersomnia

Led by Dr. Anup Banerjee. Its 3,500 sq ft space sits next to CaroMont Regional Medical Center. Also, it has been running for over 10 years.

Visit Website →

OnSite Clinical Solutions

Ballantyne, NC 28277 / 10+ active studies

Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s, COPD, Heart Failure, Atopic Dermatitis

It works with Charlotte doctors in heart, gut, skin, nerve, and joint care. Besides, it runs studies from Phase I through Phase IV.

Visit Website →

Flourish Research

Matthews, NC 28105 / 4+ active studies

Alzheimer’s Disease, Early Alzheimer’s, Alzheimer’s-Related Psychosis

Led by Dr. M. Reza Bolouri. He has 20+ years in Alzheimer’s research. The site is an Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence. In fact, its network has finished 5,500+ trials.

Visit Website →

New Hope Clinical Research

SouthPark, NC 28211 / 4+ active studies

Major Depression, Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder

Led by Dr. Kurian Abraham. It runs Phase I through IV studies and has 30 beds for overnight stays. Its last FDA audit came back clean. Also, it has finished 200+ brain studies.

Visit Website →

Queen City Clinical Research

SouthPark, NC 28211 / 2+ active studies

Chronic Pain, Chronic Migraine, Osteoarthritis

Led by Dr. Leonardo Kapural, a former Cleveland Clinic professor. Notably, he has written 200+ journal articles. On top of that, many call this the biggest pain research site in the country.

Visit Website →

Novant Health

Multiple Charlotte locations / Several active studies

Cardiovascular Disease, Obesity, Hypertension

One of the biggest health systems in the Carolinas. Its Heart and Vascular Institute runs heart studies and sees a lot of patients.

Visit Website →

DLVSC

4 Charlotte-area offices / 1+ active studies

Eczema, Psoriasis, Rosacea

Led by Dr. Gilly Munavalli. This award-winning skin practice owns 50+ FDA-approved lasers and devices. Also, it has its own research team.

Visit Website →

DelRicht Research

South Charlotte, NC 28210 / 1+ active studies

Bipolar Disorder, Bipolar Depression

Part of a national network of mental health research sites. Currently, it runs the azetukalner bipolar depression trial in Charlotte. Previously, it ran other mental health studies.

Visit Website →

TMS of the Carolinas

South Charlotte, NC 28210 / 1+ active studies

Major Depression, Treatment-Resistant Depression

A specialty site for brain stimulation care. It runs the fast TMS study that packs 6 weeks into 2.

Visit Website →

What to Expect in a Bone Study

New to studies? Here is how one works, step by step.

01

Prescreening

First comes a short phone call or online form. Also, it takes about 10 to 15 minutes. The staff check whether you might fit. Then they tell you what is open.

02

Screening Visit

Next the clinic runs the tests that decide it, which usually means blood work. Also, they go through the consent form line by line, and you can bring somebody with you.

03

Treatment Period

Then the study begins. So you take the study drug or the placebo on the agreed schedule. Meanwhile, your own doctor keeps managing everything else.

04

Follow-Up

Finally, there is a check in period at the end. Also, your own doctor gets the results, and you can stop at any point without affecting your care.

Bone and Fracture Trial FAQs

Real answers about osteoporosis and fracture studies near Charlotte NC.

Is there a study for this near Charlotte?

Yes, nine, and every one is for people who have already broken something. They cover shattered heels, breaks above the knee, open shin fractures and bone filling materials. However, none of them treats thin bones and none measures your bone density. Notably, the nearest study that actually measures density is about eighty miles north at Winston Salem.

Do any of these treat thin bones?

No, and that is the first thing to understand. Everything open in either metro is trauma research, for people who have already broken something. So nobody is assigned to a bone drug and no local study measures your bone density. Meanwhile, the nearest study that actually measures density is about eighty miles from Charlotte.

What is a T score?

It is the number a bone scan gives you, and everything hinges on it. Above minus 1 is normal, minus 1 to minus 2.5 is thin, and below minus 2.5 is thin bones. So knowing yours tells you at once which studies could take you. Notably, the nearest density study takes the middle band and excludes the bottom one.

What is a FRAX score?

It estimates your chance of a major fracture over the next ten years, using your age, weight and history. It takes about two minutes and any clinic can run it. So it turns a vague worry into a number you can act on. In fact, one nearby study uses a FRAX result of twenty percent as a cut off.

I broke my wrist in a simple fall. Does that mean anything?

Yes, and it is the clearest warning sign there is. Breaking a wrist, hip, spine or shoulder in an ordinary fall after fifty is called a break from a simple fall. So the fracture usually gets fixed and then nobody looks at why it happened. Meanwhile, closing that gap is exactly what several studies are trying to do.

Can I sign up for a fracture study in advance?

Generally no, because you are approached after the injury during your hospital stay. So the useful thing is knowing these exist before it happens to you or a relative. Also, several require a year of follow up at the same hospital. Notably, that is the criterion people most often fall out on.

Would I get a fake surgery?

No. Every surgical study here compares two real surgeries or two real treatments. So nobody is left unfixed and nobody gets a pretend procedure. In fact, several are simply records studies of a surgery you were already having. Meanwhile, that makes them among the easiest research to agree to.

Why does my dentist matter?

The tablets that strengthen bone carry a small concern about jaw healing. So the nearest density study requires you to be having routine dental care already. Also, an extraction in the last six months or planned in the next year excludes you. Generally, that is easy to plan around if you know in advance.

Does it cost anything to check?

No. There is no cost, and no insurance is needed. Tether is a nonprofit list, so we do not run studies and we are not paid to send you anywhere. Also, checking never enrolls anyone in anything. You would always call the clinic yourself.

Where can I get help near Charlotte?

Atrium Health and Novant Health both run bone and joint and endocrine services across the metro, and OrthoCarolina is a large specialist group here. Also, ask for a bone scan and your T score. Generally, your own doctor can order both the scan and a FRAX estimate. Meanwhile, if you have broken something in a simple fall, ask exactly who is following that up.

Ready to Explore a Study?

Check your eligibility, or just reach out to our Charlotte team. No pressure. Also, no sales pitch.

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Sources

Study details and per-site recruiting status verified against ClinicalTrials.gov on August 17, 2026. None of the studies open in either metro treats thin bones. Every one is trauma research in people who have already broken a bone, and that is stated at the top of this page rather than left to be assumed. The only genuine bone density study within reach is at Winston Salem, and it excludes people who already have thin bones at that level, which is stated on its card. Most fracture studies here recruit during the hospital admission, so they cannot be sought out in advance. Study availability and criteria change; the research clinic confirms everything before you enroll.

See which bone studies near Charlotte fit me →