Sonographic Assessment of Reduction in Colles' Fracture

Fractures of the distal radius are a frequent cause for presentation to United Kingdom (UK) Emergency Departments, and the Colles' fracture is the most commonly encountered type. These injuries frequently occur in isolation, or associated with only minor injuries, and reduction of displaced fractures is typically performed by Emergency Physicians at the time of first attendance to the hospital.

The usually sequence of events is clinical examination, x-ray imaging to confirm the fracture, then the reduction is performed with appropriate analgesia or anaesthesia, the arm placed in a plaster backslab, and repeat imaging is taken to confirm adequacy of reduction. If the reduction is not satisfactory, repeat manipulation is required.

Haematoma block and Biers block permit x-ray imaging of the manipulated wrist while the anaesthetic action is still effective, permitting re-manipulation without further administration of local anaesthetic. Sedation is usually kept to as short a time as possible, and is not usually maintained while imaging is performed. There is usually some degree of delay while x-rays are taken and made available for viewing, and this wait prolongs the procedure for the patient and the treating clinician. In addition, Biers block cannot be tolerated for long by most patients, so any delay makes it less likely that a re-manipulation can be achieved within the time the patient can tolerate. If a patient has been sedated, a re-manipulation will require a further sedative (or alternative) procedure with the concomitant risks that entails.

Ideally, imaging would be performed rapidly, immediately at the end of the manipulation, prior to application of plaster, allowing confirmation of the reduction or immediate re-manipulation if necessary. This description of imaging provided at the point of care by the treating clinician, aimed at answering a clearly defined question ('is this an adequate reduction?') matches the description of focussed emergency ultrasound in other applications. If ultrasound could be used to assess fracture reduction, it would have potential to save clinician time, patient time and discomfort, and reduced the need for repeated manipulations and surgical repair.

This study intends to assess the feasibility of a full trial of efficacy comparing ultrasound with x-ray to guide the reduction of these fractures.