Efficacy of preoperative skin traction in hip fracture patients: a prospective, randomized study.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the analgesic benefit of preoperative skin traction with the placement of a pillow under the injured extremity in patients with hip fractures.


METHODS
Prospective, randomized clinical study.


METHODS
University-affiliated teaching institution.


METHODS
One hundred consecutive patients with hip fractures admitted to the authors' institution who met inclusion criteria were enrolled. Fifty-five patients had femoral neck fractures, and forty-five patients had intertrochanteric fractures. The average patient age was seventy-eight years.


METHODS
All patients were preoperatively randomized into two intervention groups. One group underwent placement of five pounds of skin traction on the injured extremity, whereas the second underwent placement of a pillow under the injured extremity. Fifty patients were enrolled in each intervention group.


RESULTS
With respect to immediate postintervention pain levels, patients treated with a pillow showed a trend toward better pain relief, as compared with patients treated with skin traction; however, this was not statistically significant. On the morning after admission, patients treated with a pillow had a statistically significant greater reduction in pain (p = 0.04). These patients also requested a statistically significant lower amount of pain medication (p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The authors think that preoperative skin traction in patients with hip fractures does not provide significant pain relief, as compared with pillow placement under the injured extremity, and thus should not be routinely performed in this patient population for analgesia.
Rosen
J E
JE
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York University Medical Center, New York 10003, USA.
Chen
F S
FS
Hiebert
R
R
Koval
K J
KJ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods*; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000175:diagnosis; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D014143:Traction / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000700:Analgesics