Acute Effects of Interferential Current on Edema, Pain and Muscle Strength in Patients With Distal Radius Fracture

Interferential current is a form of electrotherapy that is obtained by placing two different plates that produce medium frequency waveform current, resulting in a low frequency interferential waveform in deeper tissues. It was shown interferential current electrotherapy is beneficial for reduction of traumatic edema in tissues and pain control.

Patients with conservatively managed distal radius fractures were recruited after casts are shed, and were treated with one session(30 minutes) of different protocols of interferential current electrotherapy. Before and after therapy, they were evaluated with volumetry, hand grip strength and visual analogue scale for pain.

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Key information

Conditions

Radius Fractures Arm Injuries Edema Forearm Injuries Fractures, Bone Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms Wounds and Injuries

Age range

18 year–70 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Conservatively managed distal radius fractures

Exclusion criteria

Secondary conditions associated with edema(renal failure, congestive heart failure etc)
Complex regional pain syndrome
Compartment syndrome
Contraindications for electrotherapy(cardiac pacemaker, thrombosis, pregnancy etc)
Mental state unfit for electrotherapy
Having treated with electrotherapy before

Treatment and study plan

Electrotherapy, interferential current

Device

Interferential current, entry frequencies and beat frequencies were set differently in 2 groups, amplitude was individualized and increased until patients felt a comfortable tickling sensation.

Control

Other

No current except for first 5 seconds, device open but does not appy electrotherapy.

Primary outcomes

Volumetry

Time frame: 30 minutes

Patients were asked to dip their hands slowly into a special bucket full of water with volume markings until their middle finger touched to the bottom of the bucket. The spilled amount of water were measured as milliliters.
Visual Analogue Scale

Time frame: 30 minutes

Patients were asked to express their discomfort level from pain in a scale ranging from 1 to 10(with the help of a 10 cm line), and point they showed were measured as millimeters.
Hand Grip Strength

Time frame: 30 minutes

Patients were asked to use a hydraulic hand dynamometer for hand grip strength in a position of 10 to 30 degrees of wrist extension, and results were registered as kilograms.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Ege University

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start: 2017
Primary completion: 2017
Study completion: 2017
First posted: Feb 20, 2018
Registry last updated: Feb 26, 2018

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

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This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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