Abstract:

Objective To evaluate whether preoperative skin traction can reduce the pain of patients with hip fracture and promote fracture reduction. Methods Patients who underwent hip fracture operations in the Fuyang Orthopaedics Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from June 2010 to June 2013 were selected and randomly divided into the skin traction group and non-skin traction group by the computer. The primary index was visual analogue scale (0-10) for evaluating the degree of pain. The secondary index was fracture reduction, which was evaluated according to the differences of femur length and neck shaft angle on X-rays (anteroposterior view) at the time of admission, 1 d before operation, and after operation. Results Data of 106 cases were finally analyzed and 56 of them were from the skin traction group and 50 of them were from the non-skin traction group. The differences of basic line indexes between two groups were not statistically significant (P>0.05). The mean pain scores of skin traction group at the time of admission and before and after operation were 4.4±0.8, 2.9±0.5, and 1.4±0.4, respectively, while those of the non-traction group were 4.5±0.7, 2.8±0.6, and 1.6±0.5, respectively (P>0.05). The differences between two groups were not statistically significant (P>0.05). The differences of the dose of painkillers and the fracture reduction of two groups were not statistically significant (P>0.05). The incidence of erythema or blisters, numbness, and deep vein thrombosis of the skin traction group was significantly higher than that of the non-skin traction group (P<0.05). Conclusion Preoperative skin traction has no significant effect on preoperative pain relief and postoperative fracture reduction. But some complications such as erythema or blisters, numbness, and deep vein thrombosis may occur.

Key words: skin traction, hip fracture, reduction of fracture, pain