Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33789481›Full record

Trial reportThe bone & joint journal2021

Vascular impulse technology versus elevation for the reduction of swelling of lower extremity joint fractures: results of a prospective randomized controlled study.

Marc Schnetzke, Jan El Barbari, Svenja Schüler, Benedict Swartman, Holger Keil, Sven Vetter, Paul Alfred Gruetzner, Jochen Franke

Open access · hybridAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in The bone & joint journal, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.9field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Marc SchnetzkeGerman Joint Centre Heidelberg, ATOS Clinic Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Jan El BarbariDepartment for Traumatology and Orthopaedics, BG Trauma Centre Ludwigshafen, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
Svenja SchülerInstitute of Medical Biometry and Informatics, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Benedict SwartmanDepartment for Traumatology and Orthopaedics, BG Trauma Centre Ludwigshafen, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
Holger KeilDepartment for Traumatology and Orthopaedics, BG Trauma Centre Ludwigshafen, Ludwigshafen, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5006-8420
Sven VetterDepartment for Traumatology and Orthopaedics, BG Trauma Centre Ludwigshafen, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
Paul Alfred GruetznerDepartment for Traumatology and Orthopaedics, BG Trauma Centre Ludwigshafen, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
Jochen FrankeDepartment for Traumatology and Orthopaedics, BG Trauma Centre Ludwigshafen, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
Klinikum Ludwigshafen · DEHeidelberg University · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsComplex joint fractures of the lower extremity are often accompanied by soft-tissue swelling and are associated with prolonged hospitalization and soft-tissue complications. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of vascular impulse technology (VIT) on soft-tissue conditioning in comparison with conventional elevation.

methodsA total of 100 patients were included in this prospective, randomized, controlled monocentre study allocated to the three subgroups of dislocated ankle fracture (n = 40), pilon fracture (n = 20), and intra-articular calcaneal fracture (n = 40). Patients were randomized to the two study groups in a 1:1 ratio. The effectiveness of VIT (intervention) compared with elevation (control) was analyzed separately for the whole study population and for the three subgroups. The primary endpoint was the time from admission until operability (in days).

resultsThe mean length of time until operability was 8.2 days (SD 3.0) in the intervention group and 10.2 days (SD 3.7) in the control group across all three fractures groups combined (p = 0.004). An analysis of the subgroups revealed that a significant reduction in the time to operability was achieved in two of the three: with 8.6 days (SD 2.2) versus 10.6 days (SD 3.6) in ankle fractures (p = 0.043), 9.8 days (SD 4.1) versus 12.5 days (SD 5.1) in pilon fractures (p = 0.205), and 7.0 days (SD 2.6) versus 8.4 days (SD 1.5) in calcaneal fractures (p = 0.043). A lower length of stay (p = 0.007), a reduction in pain (p

conclusionCompared with elevation, VIT results in a significant reduction in the time to achieve operability in complex joint fractures of the lower limb. Cite this article:

Indexed as

Intermittent Pneumatic Compression DevicesAnkle FracturesEdemaFemaleGermanyHumansInjury Severity ScoreLower ExtremityMaleMiddle AgedPain MeasurementProspective StudiesAnkle fracturesCalcaneal fracturesElevationIntra-articular fractureLower legOperabilityPilon fracturesPost-traumaticSoft-tissueSwelling

Identifiers

PMID33789481
PMCPMC9950846
OpenAlexW3146909254

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.