Aims. To estimate the potential cost-effectiveness of adalimumab compared with standard care alone for the treatment of early-stage Dupuytren’s disease (DD) and the value of further research from an NHS perspective. Methods. We used data from the Repurposing anti-TNF for Dupuytren’s disease (RIDD) randomized controlled trial of intranodular adalimumab injections in patients with early-stage progressive DD. RIDD found that intranodular adalimumab injections reduced nodule hardness and size in patients with early-stage DD, indicating the potential to control disease progression. A within-trial cost-utility analysis compared four adalimumab injections with no further treatment against standard care alone, taking a 12-month time horizon and using prospective data on EuroQol five-dimension five-level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) and resource use from the RIDD trial. We also developed a patient-level simulation model similar to a Markov model to extrapolate trial outcomes over a lifetime using data from the RIDD trial and a literature review. This also evaluated repeated courses of adalimumab each time the nodule reactivated (every three years) in patients who initially responded. Results. The within-trial
The primary aim of this study was to report the radiological outcomes of patients with a dorsally displaced distal radius fracture who were randomized to a moulded cast or surgical fixation with wires following manipulation and closed reduction of their fracture. The secondary aim was to correlate radiological outcomes with patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in the year following injury. Participants were recruited as part of DRAFFT2, a UK multicentre clinical trial. Participants were aged 16 years or over with a dorsally displaced distal radius fracture, and were eligible for the trial if they needed a manipulation of their fracture, as recommended by their treating surgeon. Participants were randomly allocated on a 1:1 ratio to moulded cast or Kirschner wires after manipulation of the fracture in the operating theatre. Standard posteroanterior and lateral radiographs were performed in the radiology department of participating centres at the time of the patient’s initial assessment in the emergency department and six weeks postoperatively. Intraoperative fluoroscopic images taken at the time of fracture reduction were also assessed.Aims
Methods
To explore individuals’ experience of a scaphoid waist fracture and its subsequent treatment. A purposive sample was created, consisting of 49 participants in the Scaphoid Waist Internal Fixation for Fractures Trial of initial surgery compared with plaster cast treatment for fractures of the scaphoid waist. The majority of participants were male (35/49) and more younger participants (28/49 aged under 30 years) were included. Participants were interviewed six weeks or 52 weeks post-recruitment to the trial, or at both timepoints. Interviews were semistructured and analyzed inductively to generate cross-cutting themes that typify experience of the injury and views upon the treatment options.Aims
Methods
The aims of this study were to describe the epidemiology of metacarpal shaft fractures (MSFs), assess variation in treatment and complications following standard care, document hospital resource use, and explore factors associated with treatment modality. A multicentre, cross-sectional retrospective study of MSFs at six centres in the UK. We collected and analyzed healthcare records, operative notes, and radiographs of adults presenting within ten days of a MSF affecting the second to fifth metacarpal between 1 August 2016 and 31 July 2017. Total emergency department (ED) attendances were used to estimate prevalence.Aims
Methods
Current National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance advises that MRI direct from the emergency department (ED) should be considered for suspected scaphoid fractures. This study reports the current management of suspected scaphoid fractures in the UK and assesses adherence with NICE guidance. This national cross-sectional study was carried out at 87 NHS centres in the UK involving 122 EDs and 184 minor injuries units (MIUs). The primary outcome was availability of MRI imaging direct from the ED. We also report the specifics of patient management pathways for suspected scaphoid fractures in EDs, MIUs, and orthopaedic services. Overall, 62 of 87 centres (71%) had a guideline for the management of suspected scaphoid fractures.Aims
Methods
To determine the role of early MRI in the management of suspected scaphoid fractures. A total of 337 consecutive patients presenting to an emergency department (ED) following wrist trauma over a 12-month period were prospectively included in this service evaluation project. MRI was not required in 62 patients with clear diagnoses, and 17 patients were not managed as per pathway, leaving a total of 258 patients with normal scaphoid series radiographs who were then referred directly from ED for an acute wrist MRI scan. Patient demographics, clinical details, outcomes, and complications were recorded at a minimum of a year following injury.Aims
Methods
Brachial plexus injury (BPI) is an often devastating injury that affects patients physically and emotionally. The vast majority of the published literature is based on surgeon-graded assessment of motor outcomes, but the patient experience after BPI is not well understood. Our aim was to better understand overall life satisfaction after BPI, with the goal of identifying areas that can be addressed in future delivery of care. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 BPI patients after initial nerve reconstruction. The interview guide was focused on the patient’s experience after BPI, beginning with the injury itself and extending beyond surgical reconstruction. Inductive and deductive thematic analysis was used according to standard qualitative methodology to better understand overall life satisfaction after BPI, contributors to life satisfaction, and opportunities for improvement.Aims
Methods
The aim of the Scaphoid Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Trauma (SMaRT) trial was to evaluate the clinical and cost implications of using immediate MRI in the acute management of patients with a suspected fracture of the scaphoid with negative radiographs. Patients who presented to the emergency department (ED) with a suspected fracture of the scaphoid and negative radiographs were randomized to a control group, who did not undergo further imaging in the ED, or an intervention group, who had an MRI of the wrist as an additional test during the initial ED attendance. Most participants were male (52% control, 61% intervention), with a mean age of 36.2 years (18 to 73) in the control group and 38.2 years (20 to 71) in the intervention group. The primary outcome was total cost impact at three months post-recruitment. Secondary outcomes included total costs at six months, the assessment of clinical findings, diagnostic accuracy, and the participants’ self-reported level of satisfaction. Differences in cost were estimated using generalized linear models with gamma errors.Aims
Patients and Methods
