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Distal Radius FractureDRF-LUKSNCT07861763

Optimal Duration of Longitudinal Mechanical Traction in Displaced Radius Fractures: a Prospective Non-inferiority Study

A study testing Longitudinal mechanical traction in people with Distal Radius Fracture, run by Luzerner Kantonsspital at 1 site in Switzerland.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if 1 minute of mechanical traction lines up a broken wrist bone as well as 5 or 10 minutes of traction in adults (18 years and older) who come to the emergency department with a displaced distal radius fracture (a broken wrist with the bone pieces out of place) that needs to… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Distal Radius Fracture
What is being tested?
Longitudinal mechanical traction
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
36 participants
Where
1 siteSwitzerland
Study dates
Sep 2026to Dec 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age 18 years or older Acute, displaced distal radius fracture (AO/OTA 23-A, 23-B or 23-C) presenting to the Emergency Department and requiring closed reduction with mechanical traction and cast immobilisation Written informed consent

Who cannot join

  • Pathological fracture Open distal radius fracture Irreducible fracture requiring immediate operative fixation Previous surgery, previous fracture, or concomitant fracture of the same (ipsilateral) upper extremity Acute neurovascular compromise requiring immediate surgical intervention Inability to provide informed consent (e.g. severe cognitive impairment, dementia, acute substance intoxication, or a language barrier with no interpreter available) Pregnancy (screened per standard ED protocol)

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Jill I de Bode contact

+410412054770

jilliris.debode@luks.ch

Bryan JM van de Wall contact

bryan.vandewall@luks.ch

Switzerland1 site, 1 recruiting

  • Luzerner Kantonsspital

    Lucerne, Canton of Lucerne, 6000

    Bryan JM van de Wall, +410412054770, bryan.vandewall@luks.ch

    Recruiting

Other trials in Switzerland

About this study

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if 1 minute of mechanical traction lines up a broken wrist bone as well as 5 or 10 minutes of traction in adults (18 years and older) who come to the emergency department with a displaced distal radius fracture (a broken wrist with the bone pieces out of place) that needs to be set and put in a cast. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Is the bone position on X-ray after 1 minute of traction no worse than after 5 or 10 minutes? Bone position is measured as wrist tilt, radial inclination, radial height and ulnar variance.

Read more

At what point during traction does the bone reach its best position?

There is no separate comparison group. Each participant serves as their own comparison. Researchers will compare X-rays taken before traction and after 1, 5 and 10 minutes of traction in the same participant to see if longer traction improves bone alignment.

Participants will:

Receive standard pain relief and have their arm placed in traction with finger loops and a 5 kg weight, as in usual care Have two extra wrist X-rays (front and side view) after 1 minute and again after 5 minutes of traction, in addition to the standard X-rays before traction and after 10 minutes Have their fracture set and a cast applied as usual. Participation ends when they leave the emergency department, and there are no extra follow-up visits.

Being tested
Longitudinal mechanical traction
Medical subject headings
Wrist Fractures

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Longitudinal mechanical tractionProcedure or surgery

    Continuous longitudinal traction with standardized finger traps and a 5 kg weight over a pulley on the emergency department reduction frame, lasting 10 minutes. Wrist radiographs are taken at 1, 5 and 10 minutes of traction.

Study groups in NCT07861763
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Sequential traction (1, 5 and 10 minutes)ExperimentalAdults with an acute displaced distal radius fracture receive standard longitudinal mechanical traction, using finger traps on the thumb, index and middle fingers and a 5 kg counterweight. Standard wrist radiographs (PA and lateral) are taken before traction (T0) and after 10 minutes (T3). Two additional study radiographs (PA and lateral) are taken after 1 minute (T1) and 5 minutes (T2) of traction. Each participant serves as their own control. Closed reduction and casting then follow standard care.
Receives: Procedure: Longitudinal mechanical traction

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in volar/dorsal tilt

    Volar or dorsal tilt of the distal radius (degrees), measured on the lateral wrist radiograph. The difference between time points is compared against a non-inferiority margin of 5 degrees.

    Measured: Before traction (0 minutes) and after 1, 5 and 10 minutes of tracti

  2. Change in radial inclination

    Radial inclination (degrees), measured on the posteroanterior wrist radiograph. The difference between time points is compared against a non-inferiority margin of 5 degrees.

    Measured: Before traction (0 minutes) and after 1, 5 and 10 minutes of traction

  3. Change in radial height

    Radial height (mm), measured on the posteroanterior wrist radiograph. The difference between time points is compared against a non-inferiority margin of 2 mm.

    Measured: Before traction (0 minutes) and after 1, 5 and 10 minutes of traction

  4. Change in ulnar variance

    Ulnar variance (mm), measured on the posteroanterior wrist radiograph. The difference between time points is compared against a non-inferiority margin of 2 mm.

    Measured: Before traction (0 minutes) and after 1, 5 and 10 minutes of traction

Secondary outcomes (5)

  1. Proportion of fractures with acceptable radiological alignment

    Percentage of participants whose fracture meets acceptable alignment criteria for volar/dorsal tilt, radial inclination, radial height and ulnar variance at each traction time point.

    Measured: After 1, 5 and 10 minutes of traction

  2. Time point of maximal radiological realignment

    The traction time point (1, 5 or 10 minutes) at which each of the four radiological parameters (volar/dorsal tilt, radial inclination, radial height, ulnar variance) reaches its maximal correction relative to baseline.

    Measured: Before traction (0 minutes) and after 1, 5 and 10 minutes of traction

  3. Effect of fracture morphology on change in radiological alignment

    Association between fracture type (AO/OTA 23-A, 23-B, 23-C) and baseline displacement, and the change in the four radiological parameters over time. This is analysed with linear mixed-effects models.

    Measured: Before traction (0 minutes) and after 1, 5 and 10 minutes of traction

  4. Effect of age and sex on change in radiological alignment

    Association between patient age and sex and the change in the four radiological parameters over time. This includes a sex × time interaction, analysed with linear mixed-effects models.

    Measured: Before traction (0 minutes) and after 1, 5 and 10 minutes of traction

  5. Effect of BMI, forearm circumference, time to presentation and pain on change in radiological alignment

    Association between BMI, forearm circumference (a proxy for muscle volume), time from injury to emergency department presentation and maximum pain during traction, and the change in volar/dorsal tilt, radial inclination, radial height and ulnar variance over time. Pain is scored on a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable). This is analysed with linear mixed-effects models.

    Measured: Before traction (0 minutes) and after 1, 5 and 10 minutes of traction

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted6 Oct 2026
  2. Study startSep 2026 (estimated)
  3. Primary completionNov 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completionDec 2026 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
36 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07861763
Sponsor's protocol ID
BASEC-2026-01751
Acronym
DRF-LUKS
Status last verified
Sep 2026
First submitted
1 Oct 2026
Last updated
6 Oct 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Lippuner K, Johansson H, Kanis JA, Rizzoli R. Remaining lifetime and absolute 10-year probabilities of osteoporotic fracture in Swiss men and women. Osteoporos Int. 2009 Jul;20(7):1131-40. doi: 10.1007/s00198-008-0779-8. Epub 2008 Oct 31.

    PubMed 18974918

  • Walenkamp MM, Goslings JC, Beumer A, Haverlag R, Leenhouts PA, Verleisdonk EJ, Liem RS, Sintenie JB, Bronkhorst MW, Winkelhagen J, Schep NW. Surgery versus conservative treatment in patients with type A distal radius fractures, a randomized controlled trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2014 Mar 19;15:90. doi: 10.1186/1471-2474-15-90.

    PubMed 24642190

  • McQueen M, Caspers J. Colles fracture: does the anatomical result affect the final function? J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1988 Aug;70(4):649-51. doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.70B4.3403617.

    PubMed 3403617

  • Candela V, Di Lucia P, Carnevali C, Milanese A, Spagnoli A, Villani C, Gumina S. Epidemiology of distal radius fractures: a detailed survey on a large sample of patients in a suburban area. J Orthop Traumatol. 2022 Aug 30;23(1):43. doi: 10.1186/s10195-022-00663-6.

    PubMed 36040542

  • Court-Brown CM, Caesar B. Epidemiology of adult fractures: A review. Injury. 2006 Aug;37(8):691-7. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2006.04.130. Epub 2006 Jun 30.

    PubMed 16814787

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Longitudinal mechanical traction in people with Distal Radius Fracture, run by Luzerner Kantonsspital at 1 site in Switzerland.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Switzerland. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Jill I de Bode (+410412054770, jilliris.debode@luks.ch), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in volar/dorsal tilt (time frame: Before traction (0 minutes) and after 1, 5 and 10 minutes of tracti). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07861763, which also lists 5 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 6 Oct 2026.

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