Elbow fracture showdown: surgery or a simple cast for seniors?
NCT ID NCT07400692
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Sep 10, 2026 · Updated 4 times
Summary
This study compares two ways to treat a broken elbow (olecranon fracture) in people over 65 who don't use their arms heavily. Half will get surgery with a metal plate and screws, and the other half will get a cast or splint. Researchers will measure elbow function, pain, and quality of life over time to see which approach works best.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- surgery (open reduction and plate osteosynthesis) vs. conservative treatment (cast or splint)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could show that a cast is just as good as surgery for certain elbow fractures in older adults, avoiding the risks of an operation.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, single-hospital trial with only 84 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The study is still recruiting, and it's too early to know which treatment is better.
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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About 84 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2026
- Expected to finish
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Feb 2030
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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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65 years and older
- 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria * Patients with an acute (\< 2 weeks) Mayo type 2A or 2B olecranon fracture * Patients aged \> 65 years • Patients with reduced functional demand, with a score \> 2 and \< 7 on the Clinical Frailty Scale * Patients able to provide informed consent and follow all study procedures as indicated in the protocol * Signed informed consent for study participation Exclusion criteria: * Patients aged \< 65 years or with a Clinical Frailty Scale score \> 7 or \< 2 * Patients with a Mayo type 2A or 2B fracture seen more than 2 weeks after injury * Old fracture (\> 6 months), pseudoarthrosis, or unhealed nerve injury of the ipsilateral upper limb * Open (Gustilo-Anderson type 2 or 3) or pathological fracture * Previous injury to, or other condition of, the elbow with severe functional impairment * Patients with severe comorbidities preventing safe surgical treatment * Other acute fracture or nerve damage of the ipsilateral upper limb * Known drug or alcohol abuse * Inability to follow study procedures (e.g., due to language barriers or severe comorbidities)
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Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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EOC - Orthopaedics and Traumatology Service
RECRUITINGLugano, 6900, Switzerland
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