The primary aim of this study was to report the radiological outcomes of patients with a dorsally displaced distal radius fracture who were randomized to a moulded cast or surgical fixation with wires following manipulation and closed reduction of their fracture. The secondary aim was to correlate radiological outcomes with patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in the year following injury. Participants were recruited as part of DRAFFT2, a UK multicentre clinical trial. Participants were aged 16 years or over with a dorsally displaced distal radius fracture, and were eligible for the trial if they needed a manipulation of their fracture, as recommended by their treating surgeon. Participants were randomly allocated on a 1:1 ratio to moulded cast or Kirschner wires after manipulation of the fracture in the operating theatre. Standard posteroanterior and lateral radiographs were performed in the radiology department of participating centres at the time of the patient’s initial assessment in the emergency department and six weeks postoperatively. Intraoperative fluoroscopic images taken at the time of fracture reduction were also assessed.Aims
Methods
Osteoarthritis (OA) affecting the thumb carpometacarpal joint (CMCJ) is a common painful condition. In this study, we aimed to explore clinicians’ approach to management with a particular focus on the role of specific interventions that will inform the design of future clinical trials. We interviewed a purposive sample of 24 clinicians, consisting of 12 surgeons and 12 therapists (four occupational therapists and eight physiotherapists) who managed patients with CMCJ OA. This is a qualitative study using semi-structured, online interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis.Aims
Methods
The aim of the Scaphoid Waist Internal Fixation for Fractures Trial (SWIFFT) was to determine the optimal treatment for adults with a bicortical undisplaced or minimally displaced fracture of the waist of the scaphoid, comparing early surgical fixation with initial cast immobilization, with immediate fixation being offered to patients with nonunion. A cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted to assess the relative merits of these forms of treatment. The differences in costs to the healthcare system and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) of the patients over the one-year follow-up of the trial in the two treatment arms were estimated using regression analysis.Aims
Methods
The aim of this study was to compare the clinical effectiveness of Kirschner wire (K-wire) fixation with locking-plate fixation for patients with a dorsally displaced fracture of the distal radius in the five years after injury. We report the five-year follow-up of a multicentre, two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. A total of 461 adults with a dorsally displaced fracture of the distal radius within 3 cm of the radiocarpal joint that required surgical fixation were recruited from 18 trauma centres in the United Kingdom. Patients were excluded if the surface of the wrist joint was so badly displaced it required open reduction. In all, 448 patients were randomized to receive either K-wire fixation or locking-plate fixation. In the K-wire group, there were 179 female and 38 male patients with a mean age of 59.1 years (19 to 89). In the locking-plate group, there were 194 female and 37 male patients with a mean age of 58.3 years (20 to 89). The primary outcome measure was the patient-rated wrist evaluation (PRWE). Secondary outcomes were health-related quality of life using the EuroQol five-dimension three-level (EQ-5D-3L) assessment, and further surgery related to the index fracture.Aims
Patients and Methods
