Skeletal Traction for Isolated Femur Fractures Does Not Reduce Opioid Consumption

Isolated femoral shaft fractures can be treated preoperatively with skeletal traction (TXN) or maintenance of a position of comfort (COMF). The goal of this retrospective review was to determine whether preoperative opioid consumption differs significantly between these forms of treatment.

Case-control retrospective study.

Two academic Level 1 trauma centers.

Patients presenting to the emergency department with isolated OTA/AO 32A-C femoral shaft fractures from 2017 to 2020.

The primary outcome was preoperative opioid consumption (morphine milligram equivalents) comparing patients treated with application of TXN or placed in a position of COMF.

Two hundred and twenty patients were studied (COMF n = 167, TXN n = 53). Multivariate regression analysis revealed significantly greater preoperative opioid consumption in the emergency department for the TXN group compared with COMF (2.6 more morphine milligram equivalents [confidence interval, 0.23-4.96], P = 0.031). There was no difference in preoperative opioid consumption between groups on the hospital floor ( P = 0.811) nor during the entire preoperative course ( P = 0.486). The total preoperative rate of opioid consumption (morphine milligram equivalents/hour) did not differ ( P = 0.825).

Patients with isolated femoral shaft fractures treated preoperatively with skeletal traction consumed more opioids in the emergency department compared with patients treated in a position of comfort, but no difference in opioid consumption was observed between groups for the entire preoperative course. A position of comfort may be considered as an acceptable alternative to skeletal traction for patients with isolated femur fractures.

Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.