Cast length showdown: does a shorter cast speed wrist fracture recovery?
NCT ID NCT07704879
First seen Jul 15, 2026 · Last updated Jul 16, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial compares two casting strategies for adults with a broken wrist (distal radius fracture) that was set without surgery. One group wears a below-elbow cast from the start, while the other wears an above-elbow cast for two weeks before switching to a below-elbow cast. Researchers measure muscle strength, pain, stiffness, and long-term function to see which approach leads to better recovery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- casting procedure (below-elbow cast or initial above-elbow cast followed by below-elbow cast)
- What this could lead to
- If one casting method proves better, it could lead to faster recovery of arm strength and less stiffness after a wrist fracture.
- What could go wrong
- This is a single-center trial with 93 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The difference between casting types might be small or not clinically meaningful.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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93 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jul 2020
- Finished
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Jun 2026
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 70 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 to 70 years * Closed distal radius fracture for which the treating team determined that nonsurgical treatment with closed reduction and cast immobilization was appropriate * AO/OTA distal radius fracture classified as 2R3A2, 2R3A3, 2R3B2, 2R3B3, 2R3C1, 2R3C2, or 2R3C3 Exclusion Criteria: * AO/OTA distal radius fracture classified as 2R3A1 or 2R3B1 * Open distal radius fracture * History of an allergic reaction to cast material * Previous surgery involving the wrist or elbow * Distal radius fracture judged to require operative treatment at the initial evaluation
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology
Istanbul, 34093, Turkey (Türkiye)
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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