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Study aim
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A comparison between standard short arm cast and shortened short arm cast in wrist fractures in upper limb fractures
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Design
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This research will be done by randomized clinical trial. All of the patients who come to the emergency department of "Tehran 7tir Hospital" with trauma to the hand or wrist that need short arm cast, will be enroll in this study. Patients will be randomly assigned to two groups by a random block method. Each block contains 10 numbers. Because we did not find any record or research about this subject, a pilot study with 30 patients will be initially performed and corresponding indicators will be derived and based on that sample size calculations will be done using Altman’s nomogram.
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Settings and conduct
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All of the patients who come to the emergency department of "Tehran 7tir Hospital" with trauma to the hand or wrist that need short arm cast without any evidence of dislocation and laceration, will be enroll in this study. Patients will be randomly assigned to two groups. In case group bracing up will be done by using half size cast (from the fingers until middle of the forearm) and in the control group it will be done by using a regular cast (from the fingers until one inch below the elbow). General information and medical prescription and same advice are implemented for both groups. The pain score of all patients are obtained and recorded for later investigations. After data gathering, Patient’s data will be analyzed by person who is blinded to two groups.
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Participants/Inclusion and exclusion criteria
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All of the patients who admitted in the emergency department of "Tehran 7th Tir Hospital" with trauma to the hand and wrist that need casting, without any evidence of dislocation and laceration, will be enrolled in this study. Patients under eighteen years old and those that cannot be following up will be rolled out.
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Intervention groups
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In case group bracing up will be done by using half size cast (from the fingers until middle of the forearm) and in the control group it will be done by using a regular cast (from the fingers until one inch below the elbow).
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Main outcome variables
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Study Indices, including recovery time, duration of pain and swelling, union, nonunion, malunion and pain score in both groups will be compared. These signs and symptoms will be reassessed and recorded during one week, two weeks, four weeks and eight weeks from casting to removal time.