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Effect of Cool Spray and Cold Packs in Reducing Preoperative Edema and Pain in Ankle Fractures in Ubonratchathani

Effect of Cool Spray and Cold Packs in Reducing Preoperative Edema and Pain in Ankle Fractures in Ubonratchathani: 3-arm Parallel-group RCT

Status
Active, not recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06293209
Acronym
3-armRCT
Enrollment
90
Registered
2024-03-05
Start date
2023-08-01
Completion date
2024-05-28
Last updated
2024-03-05

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Ankle Fractures, Cryotherapy Effect, Swelling

Brief summary

The use of evaporative coolants in the management of acute musculoskeletal injury has received increasing attention recently. However, its efficacy compared with conventional cryotherapy in treating injured human subjects remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of evaporative coolants with that of ice packs in the preoperative management of edema and pain in patients with an ankle fracture

Detailed description

Fractures of the ankle bone are one of the common types of bone fractures found in the general population, accounting for approximately 14% of all fractures They are often found in middle-aged males aged 15-24 years who engage in high-impact physical activities such as sports or high-intensity exercise. They are also found in elderly females with osteoporosis aged 75-84 years The incidence of ankle fractures is 187 per 100,000 population per year Ankle bone fractures usually occur due to excessive force or weight bearing. The main causes of ankle bone fractures can be categorized into three age groups: falls account for up to 61% in the elderly population, sports injuries or repetitive movements in sports or exercises can lead to pain, swelling, and bruising around the ankle joint, or the ankle may appear deformed, which is commonly found in younger age groups, accounting for 22%, and accidents from motor vehicle collisions account for 17% Unimalleolar ankle fractures are the most common type, accounting for 70% of all ankle fractures. Bimalleolar fractures account for approximately 20%, while trimalleolar fractures account for about 7% of all ankle fractures Initial management of ankle injuries involves using the RICE approach, which includes applying ice (I = ice) to the injured area. Cooling the skin with ice packs is a widely used traditional method of caring for injured patients. It has been found that when the skin temperature of bruised areas is reduced below 13.6 degrees Celsius with ice packs, swelling and pain in ankle injuries can be effectively reduced Prolonged use of ice packs for more than 6 days after injury can delay surgery and accelerate tissue recovery after surgery Additionally, studies comparing the effectiveness of reducing swelling in ankle tissue injuries with cold spray and ice packs have found that cold spray is 2-3 times more effective than ice packs in reducing swelling and pain in patients with ankle fractures both before and after surgery However, there has been no study in Thailand on effective cooling methods to reduce swelling and alleviate pain in ankle fractures. Therefore, this research aims to compare the effectiveness of using ice packs and cold spray in reducing swelling and pain before surgery in patients with ankle fractures treated at Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani. It is hypothesized that cooling with ice packs and cold spray is effective in reducing swelling and pain in patients with ankle fractures before surgery, and that the effectiveness of ice packs and cold spray in reducing swelling and pain in patients with ankle fractures before surgery differs. This study aims to provide data for developing effective methods and guidelines to reduce swelling and pain in patients with ankle fractures before surgery and may be applied as an alternative option to reduce swelling and pain in patients with fractures in other parts of the body.

Interventions

DEVICE3M cold pack

3M cold pack

DEVICEPerskindol cold spray

Perskindol cold spray

DEVICEPlacebo

Placebo

Sponsors

Thai Traditional Medical Knowledge Fund
Lead SponsorOTHER_GOV

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Intervention model description

Population The sample group comprises 30 patients admitted for treatment in the male orthopedic surgery department, female orthopedic surgery department, and accident orthopedic surgery department at Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani from August 2023 to January 2024. .

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Thai male and female individuals * aged 18 years or older. * diagnosed by the researcher as having unimalleolar fracture, bimalleolar fracture, or trimalleolar fracture requiring surgery. * capable of reading and writing in the Thai language.

Exclusion criteria

* \- Fractures in both ankles. * Pathologic fractures of the ankle bones. * Simultaneous fractures of the ankle and leg bones. * Previous history of ankle fractures. * Nerve-related disorders causing inflammation around the ankle. * Peripheral artery disease causing blockages in the leg arteries. * Infections in the ankle area. * Cold allergy. * Inability to read and write in the Thai language

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
swelling5 day before surgeryMeasuring ankle swelling using the figure-of-eight-20 method, which involves measuring the circumference of the ankle and foot using a tape measure placed along the sides of the foot, passing through specific points,3 time and then averaging the measurements obtained in millimeters.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
pain score48 hoursAssessing pain levels using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), a 10-centimeter horizontal line labeled with no pain at all at one end and unbearable pain at the other. Participants mark their pain level on the scale from 0 to 10, and pain severity is categorized into 5 levels: no pain (0 points), mild pain (1-3 points), moderate pain (4-6 points), severe pain (7-9 points), and extreme pain (10 points).

Countries

Thailand

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026