MedPath

Regional or General Anesthesia for Distal Radius Fracture Surgery in a Day Surgery Setting

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Distal Radius Fracture
Postoperative Pain
Interventions
Procedure: Regional anesthesia
Procedure: General anesthesia
Registration Number
NCT02495688
Lead Sponsor
Karolinska Institutet
Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to compare general and regional anesthesia with regard to postoperative pain in patients who undergo surgery in a day surgery setting due to a displaced distal radius fracture.

Detailed Description

We intend to conduct a single-center randomized clinical trial that will enroll 90 patients planned for surgical treatment with a volar plate due to a displaced distal radius fracture in a day surgery setting. Patients who fulfill all of the inclusion criteria and none of the exclusion criteria (see below) will be approached by an MD and/or a RN in the study group on the day of surgery and provided with verbal and written information. If they give their informed written consent to participate in the study they will be randomized to either general or regional anesthesia. The ratio between the study arms will be 1:1 with 45 patients in each group. All patients will receive standard preoperative oral analgesics. Standard procedures for general and regional anesthesia will be used. The regional anesthesia used is supraclavicular brachial nerve block with short- and medium lasting local anesthetics. Patients who receive general anesthesia will be supervised on a postoperative intensive/intermediate care unit until they are stable and have an acceptable pain level before returning to a regular care unit. All patients leave the hospital on the day of surgery. Following standard procedures at our Orthopaedic department all patients will have a non-circular cast for about two weeks for pain-relieve. It will be removed at the standard two week check-up, at which time the sutures are removed, an X-ray is performed and the patients start non-weight bearing mobilization of the wrist.

The primary outcome is total opioid consumption during the first 72 hours postoperatively. It will be measured as the total amount of oral and iv opioids administered in the hospital before discharge as well as oral opioids that the patients consume after discharge. The patients will document their consumption of analgesics in a study diary and for the first three postoperative days report over telephone what they consumed during the previous 24 hours. For details on secondary outcomes see below. The patients will be interviewed over telephone during the first three postoperative days as well as at two weeks. Questions will include grading of pain on a 10 points VAS-scale, grading of postoperative nausea on a 10 points VAS-scale, if they have experienced postoperative vomiting, and if the would recommend the method of anesthesia to a friend or relative. The fractures will be classified by examining X-rays of the fractures before reduction. Postoperative X-rays will be examined and any remaining dislocation will be documented. The patients will fill out an injury-specific (PRWE) and a generic (EQ5D) form for health-related quality of life at the day of surgery (recall for the week before injury) and at 6 months. At 6 months an occupational therapist will perform a test of range of motion (ROM) and grip strength on all patients.

Furthermore, we intend to do an analysis of the resource utilization in the two groups. Time spent in pre-, peri- and postoperative units will be documented for each patient.

All personal data will be handled in a secure way according to ethical and legal regulations.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
90
Inclusion Criteria
  • Age 18-74 years planned for surgery with a volar plate due to displaced distal radius fracture.
Read More
Exclusion Criteria
  • Dementia,
  • alcohol abuse,
  • medical condition that interferes with either allocation.
Read More

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Regional anesthesiaRegional anesthesiaPatients are anesthezised with local aneshtetics administered with ultrasound guidance in the nerval plexus of the arm.
General anesthesiaGeneral anesthesiaPatients are anesthezised with general anesthesia and orotrachial airway. Local anesthetics (Chirocaine 5 mg/ml, 10 ml) is administered in the surgical wound during surgery.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Postoperative opioid consumption72 hours after day care surgery

The total amount of administered and consumed opioids is calculated for the first 72 hours postoperatively.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Pain14 days

Postoperative pain is recorded on a 10 points VAS-scale directly postoperatively, after two hours, at time of discharge, at 24, 48 and 72 hours, as well as at two weeks postoperatively.

EQ5D6 months

The generic form for patient-rated health-related quality of life, EQ5D, will be filled out by the participants at the day of surgery (recall for the week before injury) as well as at 6 months postoperatively.

Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV)24 hours

Nausea is recorded on a 10 points VAS-scale directly postoperatively, after two hours, at time of discharge and at 24 postoperatively. Vomiting during the first 24 hours postoperatively is recorded but not quantified.

PRWE6 months

The injury-specific form, Patient Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE), will be filled out by the participants at the day of surgery (recall for the week before injury) as well as at 6 months postoperatively.

X-ray14 days

X-rays of the fracture taken at the emergency department before reduction, as well as at the standard control at the out-patient clinic at 2 weeks after surgery will be examined.

ROM6 months

Range of motion (ROM) and grip strenght is measured by an unblinded occupational therapist.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Södersjukhuset, Stockholm Soder Hospital

🇸🇪

Stockholm, Sweden

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath