Distal radius (Colle's) fractures in adult patients are commonly reduced in the emergency department before casting. Standard of care currently requires that x-rays be performed before and after fracture reduction, and inadequate reductions may be subject to repeat attempts and are at a higher risk to require surgery. This study will assess the use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in addition to standard care as a tool to decrease the angulation at the fracture site after a reduction is performed. If this angulation is decreased, it would suggest that POCUS for distal radius fracture reduction could decrease the number of failed reduction attempts and therefore the number of repeated reduction attempts.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
22
After the fracture reduction maneouver, the physician will assess residual dorsal angulation using point-of-care ultrasound. If deemed adequate, the physician will progress to immobilization. If the reduction is not adequate, the physician will attempt further reduction at their discretion.
The distal radius fracture will be reduced with using a combination of local anesthetic, sedation, reduction maneouvers and immobiliazation at the discretion of the treating physician
St. Joseph's Health Care London
London, Ontario, Canada
London Health Sciences Centre
London, Ontario, Canada
Residual dorsal angulation
Time frame: Collected at the same-day post-reduction xray. Data will be aggregated over 1 year
Need for orthopaedic surgery within 6 weeks of injury
To be acquired via electronic patient charting
Time frame: To be assessed 6 weeks post-injury. Data will be aggregated over the 1 year study period
Physician satisfaction: post-reduction questionnaire
Time frame: Questionnaire to be administered immediately after reduction. Data to be aggregated during the 1 year study period
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