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Optimal Duration of Longitudinal Mechanical Traction in Displaced Radius Fractures: a Prospective Non-inferiority Study

Sponsor: Luzerner Kantonsspital • ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT07861763

Registry updated: 2026-10-06

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Description

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if 1 minute of mechanical traction lines up a broken wrist bone as well as 5 or 10 minutes of traction in adults (18 years and older) who come to the emergency department with a displaced distal radius fracture (a broken wrist with the bone pieces out of place) that needs to be set and put in a cast. The main questions it aims to answer are: Is the bone position on X-ray after 1 minute of traction no worse than after 5 or 10 minutes? Bone position is measured as wrist tilt, radial inclination, radial height and ulnar variance. At what point during traction does the bone reach its best position? There is no separate comparison group. Each participant serves as their own comparison. Researchers will compare X-rays taken before traction and after 1, 5 and 10 minutes of traction in the same participant to see if longer traction improves bone alignment. Participants will: Receive standard pain relief and have their arm placed in traction with finger loops and a 5 kg weight, as in usual care Have two extra wrist X-rays (front and side view) after 1 minute and again after 5 minutes of traction, in addition to the standard X-rays before traction and after 10 minutes Have their fracture set and a cast applied as usual. Participation ends when they leave the emergency department, and there are no extra follow-up visits.

Interventions

Longitudinal mechanical traction (Procedure)
Continuous longitudinal traction with standardized finger traps and a 5 kg weight over a pulley on the emergency department reduction frame, lasting 10 minutes. Wrist radiographs are taken at 1, 5 and 10 minutes of traction.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria: Age 18 years or older Acute, displaced distal radius fracture (AO/OTA 23-A, 23-B or 23-C) presenting to the Emergency Department and requiring closed reduction with mechanical traction and cast immobilisation Written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: Pathological fracture Open distal radius fracture Irreducible fracture requiring immediate operative fixation Previous surgery, previous fracture, or concomitant fracture of the same (ipsilateral) upper extremity Acute neurovascular compromise requiring immediate surgical intervention Inability to provide informed consent (e.g. severe cognitive impairment, dementia, acute substance intoxication, or a language barrier with no interpreter available) Pregnancy (screened per standard ED protocol)

Conditions

Distal Radius Fracture

Locations

Luzerner Kantonsspital — Lucerne, Canton of Lucerne, Switzerland

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Official Source

Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

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