NCT00358787

Management of Displaced Supracondylar Fractures of the Humerus Using Lateral vs. Crossed K-wires

Management of Displaced Supracondylar Fractures of the Humerus Using Lateral Versus Cross K Wires: A Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 55 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of British Columbia · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 3 Years – 7 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Completely displaced (Type III) supracondylar fractures of the humerus are treated in the operating room and are held together with pins stuck into the bone. There are two ways of inserting the pins: crossed and laterally. The crossed method is often used because it is thought to be more stable, but this method also carries a risk of hitting the ulnar nerve. It is not known which method is more stable. Our hypothesis is that loss of reduction will be equivalent between the two pinning methods.

Detailed description

Children with type III supracondylar fractures of humerus who meet the study inclusion criteria will be invited to participate in the study by the on call orthopaedic surgeon. All patients will be required to provide informed consent. Patients will then be randomized through a random number software package and will commence immediately after confirmation of inclusion into the study. The fracture is reduced and fixed percutaneously either with crossed or lateral K wires, according to which group the subject was randomized to. Post reduction antero-posterior and lateral radiographs of the elbow are done in the operating room. Above elbow cast is applied. Radiographs are taken at follow-up visits to the clinic. The radiographs are measured to determine loss of reduction between immediate post-op films and films taken immediately prior to pin removal.

Conditions

• Humeral Fractures

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
PROCEDURE	Crossed K-wiring of supracondylar fracture of the humerus	Closed reduction of the fracture followed by crossed K wire percutaneous pinning.
PROCEDURE	Lateral K-wiring of supracondylar fracture of the humerus	Closed reduction of the fracture followed by lateral K wire percutaneous pinning.

Timeline

• Start date: 2008-07-01
• Primary completion: 2017-11-01
• Completion: 2017-11-01
• First posted: 2006-08-01
• Last updated: 2018-01-10

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Canada