Distal Tubercle Fractures of the Scaphoid Clinical Trial
Official title:
Symptomatic Treatment of Distal Tubercle Fractures of the Scaphoid
AIM:
The aim of this study is to assess whether patients with an acute distal tubercle fracture
of the scaphoid treated with a removable brace for 4 to 6 weeks have the same level of
symptoms and disability 6 months after injury as the average for the normal population.
NULL HYPOTHESIS:
Patients with an acute distal tubercle fracture of the scaphoid have Quick DASH
(Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand) scores at or above the population norm (a score
of 13 in Norway and 10.9 in the United States) 6 months after injury when treated
symptomatically with a removable brace.
Fractures of the distal scaphoid tubercle are uncommon and seem relatively benign. Not a lot
is known in literature about this specific type of avulsion fracture and the treatment. Some
surgeons recommend a cast for 4 to 6 weeks while others treat their patients with a
removable brace. The only non-union reported in literature is Jonssen who published a case
in 1990 about a non-union of a tubercle fracture in a patient with repeated trauma. Kraus et
al studied 81 cases of acute scaphoid fractures and found 4 cases of tubercle avulsion
fractures in this group. We suspect some patients will not seek care for this condition as
it hurts for a bit and then causes no problems.
Response variables:
- Quick DASH measured 6 months after injury
- 11-point ordinal measure of overall pain intensity 6 months after trauma
Explanatory variables:
- Socio-demographics
- Age, sex, ethnicity, race, marital status, education, work status
- Questionnaires
- Quick DASH after trauma (< 2 weeks)
- 11-point ordinal measure of overall pain intensity 6 months after trauma
- 11-point ordinal measure of satisfaction with treatment 6 months after trauma
;
Observational Model: Cohort, Time Perspective: Prospective