ReviewCureus2025
Rope Traction Techniques in the Management of Humeral Shaft Fractures: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Functional and Radiological Outcomes.
Review in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- When Methods Matter: An Umbrella Review of Lorundrostat and the Impact of Analytical Decisions on Reported Blood Pressure and Safety Outcomes.American journal of cardiovascular drugs : drugs, devices, and other interventions · 2026Pooled it
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Rope traction remains a traditional conservative method for managing humeral shaft fractures. However, comprehensive evidence regarding its functional and radiological efficacy compared with modern methods is limited. To evaluate the functional and radiological outcomes of rope traction techniques in humeral shaft fractures, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. Databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library) were searched up to October 2025 for studies reporting outcomes of rope traction or hanging arm cast in adults. Pooled union rates were calculated using a random-effects model with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Five studies (n = 469) were included. The pooled union rate was 94.5% (95% CI: 91.3-97.1%) with low-to-moderate heterogeneity (Q = 7.42, p = 0.19, I² = 32%). Over 80% of patients achieved a full or near-full range of motion, and radiographs showed early callus formation, preserved alignment, and negligible malunion. Rope traction techniques achieve high union rates and excellent functional recovery, representing a safe, cost-effective alternative for patients where surgical fixation is contraindicated or unavailable.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.