All patients gave written informed consent.Īdult patients (aged 18 years or older) with a simple elbow dislocation were recruited from Auguntil September 18, 2012. The study was approved by the Medical Research Ethics Committee. The results of this study and the study protocol can be read elsewhere.
#VERSUS STUCCO TRIAL#
The trial is registered at the Netherlands Trial Register (NTR2025). This cost analysis used data of a multicenter randomized clinical trial comparing early mobilization with plaster immobilization in patients after a simple elbow dislocation (FuncSiE trial). It was hypothesized that early mobilization would not lead to higher costs. We performed a cost analysis of the FuncSiE randomized controlled trial to assess the direct and indirect costs and the cost-effectiveness of early mobilization versus plaster immobilization in patients with a simple elbow dislocation. However, there are no high-quality studies that report the burden of simple elbow dislocations on direct and indirect health care costs, let alone to what extent early mobilization would be able to reduce these costs.
These results justify the design of a treatment guideline advocating early mobilization from a clinical point of view. The results of this study showed that early mobilization resulted in earlier recovery of elbow function and work resumption. The FuncSiE trial compared clinical outcome of early mobilization and plaster immobilization in patients with a simple elbow dislocation. Previous studies suggested that early mobilization may give superior functional results. A simple elbow dislocation (no associated fractures) is a disabling injury which causes considerable pain and loss of range of motion in the short term, which impedes the ability to perform daily activities such as work. The elbow is the second most commonly dislocated joint in adults and mostly occurs in young and active persons, thus affecting the working population. Plaster immobilization has inferior results at almost double the cost. Conclusionįrom a clinical and a socio-economic point of view, early mobilization should be the treatment of choice for a simple elbow dislocation. Shorter work absenteeism in the early mobilization group (10 versus 18 days p = 0.027) did not lead to significantly lower costs for loss of productivity (€1719 in the early mobilization group versus €4589 p = 0.120). Mean total costs per patient were €3624 in the early mobilization group versus €7072 in the plaster group ( p = 0.094). There were no significant differences in EQ-5D, SF-36 PCS, and SF-36 MCS between the two groups. Primary outcome were the total costs at 1 year. Patients completed questionnaires on health-related quality of life, health care use, and work absence.
From Auguntil September 18, 2012, 100 adult patients with a simple elbow dislocation were recruited and randomized to early mobilization (immediate motion exercises n = 48) or 3 weeks plaster immobilization ( n = 52). This study used data of a multicenter randomized clinical trial (FuncSiE trial). It was hypothesized that early mobilization would not lead to higher direct and indirect costs. The primary aim was to assess and compare the total costs (direct health care costs and indirect costs due to loss of production) after early mobilization versus plaster immobilization in patients with a simple elbow dislocation.
0 kommentar(er)
