Effect of postoperative pneumatic compression after volar plate fixation of distal radial fractures: a randomized
Björn A Alkner1, Christina Halvardsson2, Gustaf Bråkenhielm1
11 Department of Orthopaedics, Eksjö, Region Jönköping County and Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Sweden.
Abstract:
We investigated the difference between postoperative rehabilitation with or without adjunctive intermittent pneumatic compression therapy following distal radial fracture treated with volar plating. A total of 115 patients were randomized to a control or to an experimental group. After 4 weeks of immobilization the experimental group received intermittent pneumatic compression therapy in addition to conventional postoperative rehabilitation. Primary outcome up to 1 year postoperatively was assessed using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. No significant differences between groups were found. There were no clinically relevant differences regarding the secondary outcome measures swelling, strength, pain and flexibility. We conclude that postoperative intermittent pneumatic compression treatment had no major benefits. The results of the present study do not support general use of intermittent pneumatic compression initiated 4 weeks following volar plating surgery for distal radial fracture.
Level Of Evidence:
I.
Related Concept Videos
Radial System Protection
In a radial system with a fault downstream of the third breaker, ideally, only the third breaker will open, isolating the fault and interrupting the load connected beyond it. The second breaker has a longer delay setting,...
Trial and Error and Algorithm
Clinical Trials: Overview
Clinical Trials
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
Random Error
Random Variables
Uppercase letters such as X or Y denote a random variable. Lowercase letters like x or y denote the value of a random variable. If X is a random variable, then X is written in words, and x is given as a number.
For example, let X = the...


