EFFECTIVENESS OF SKIN TRACTION IN REDUCING PAIN IN ADULTS WITH HIP FRACTURE
Main Article Content
Keywords
Hip fracture, Skin traction, Pain management, Visual Analog Scale, Orthopedic intervention
Abstract
Background: Hip fractures are a significant cause of morbidity and hospitalization among older adults. Effective pain management in the preoperative period is crucial to improve comfort, reduce complications and enhance outcomes. Skin traction, a non-invasive mechanical method has historically been used to align fractures and alleviate pain by reducing muscle spasms and joint movement. However, its actual efficacy in pain reduction remains a subject of debate in clinical practice.
Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of skin traction in reducing pain among adults with hip fractures during the preoperative period, compared to standard analgesic management alone.
Methods: A prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted involving 120 adult patients (aged ≥50 years) with radiologically confirmed hip fractures admitted to a Sughra Shafi Medical Complex. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: Group A (n=60), which received standard analgesic therapy along with skin traction, and Group B (n=60), which received standard analgesic therapy alone. Pain levels were measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at baseline, 6 hours, 12 hours, and 24 hours after intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0. Independent t-tests and repeated measures ANOVA were used to compare pain scores between groups.
Results: Both groups showed a significant reduction in VAS scores over the 24-hour period. At 6 hours, the mean VAS score in Group A was 6.2 ± 1.1, compared to 6.4 ± 1.2 in Group B (p=0.24). At 12 hours, Group A had a VAS score of 5.1 ± 1.0 versus 5.4 ± 1.1 in Group B (p=0.08). At 24 hours, Group A reported a VAS score of 4.3 ± 0.9, while Group B had 4.6 ± 1.0 (p=0.05). Although Group A demonstrated a slightly greater reduction in pain at each time point, the differences were not statistically significant. No major complications related to skin traction were observed.
Conclusion: Skin traction, when used in conjunction with standard analgesics, provides a modest but clinically marginal benefit in reducing pain in adults with hip fractures. The lack of statistically significant difference suggests that while skin traction may be a safe adjunctive therapy, its routine use for pain management in hip fracture patients may not be justified.
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Muhammad Zeb Khan
Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedic & Spine Surgery, Sahara Medical College, Sughra Shafi Medical Complex, The Sahara University Narowal, Pakistan
Muhammad Asjad Ali
Senior Registrar, Department of Orthopaedic & Spine Surgery, Sahara Medical College, Sughra Shafi Medical Complex, The Sahara University Narowal, Pakistan
Muhammad Mujtaba Afzal Khan
Senior Registrar, Department of Orthopaedic & Spine Surgery, Bahawal Victoria Hospital Bahawalpur, Pakistan
Malik Muhammad Yassin Awan
Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedic & Spine Surgery, Sahara Medical College, Sughra Shafi Medical Complex, The Sahara University Narowal, Pakistan
Muhammad Arshad Ghani
Consultant Orthopaedic, Department of Orthopaedic, DHQ Hospital Sheikhupura, Pakistan
Rana Mahmood Khurshid
Post Graduate Resident, Department of Orthopaedic Unit-1, Services Hospital Lahore, Pakistan