For children who break an arm, a trip to the Emergency Department can be followed by weeks in a plaster cast, multiple appointments and time away from school and sport.
Now, clinicians at the Royal Hobart Hospital are investigating whether there could be a simpler way.
Supported by generous funding from Hospitals United for Sick Kids, the Royal Hobart Hospital Research Foundation is funding a new pilot study looking at whether some simple forearm fractures in children can be safely treated with a removable wrist splint instead of a traditional plaster cast.
Forearm fractures are the most common broken bone in children, with more than 450 children presenting to the Royal Hobart Hospital’s Emergency Department with these injuries each year.
For many families, treatment can mean having a plaster cast fitted and returning to hospital or clinic for follow-up care. While casts are an important part of treatment for many fractures, they can also come with practical challenges for children and their families.
This study is exploring whether some straightforward fractures could be managed with a removable wrist splint, giving children a treatment option that is easier to manage at home.
A simpler recovery
A removable splint could make everyday life a little easier for children recovering from a broken arm. It may allow for easier bathing, fewer complications and a quicker return to normal activities once the injury has healed.
For families, it could also mean fewer hospital visits and less time navigating appointments.
And there could be benefits for the hospital, too.
With hundreds of children presenting with forearm fractures each year, finding safe and effective ways to manage some injuries outside traditional plaster treatment could help reduce pressure on the Royal’s busy Emergency Department and outpatient clinics.
The pilot study will help clinicians understand whether this approach is safe and effective for children with suitable simple fractures.
Research that starts at the bedside
This is the kind of practical research that can have a direct impact on the way healthcare is delivered.
The study is being led by clinicians working at the Royal Hobart Hospital, with the research focused on a very real challenge they see in their everyday practice.
If successful, the findings could help shape future treatment for children with simple forearm fractures - making recovery easier for young patients, their families and the hospital teams caring for them.
It’s another example of what can happen when local research is backed by a community that believes in better healthcare for Tasmania.
Your support helps clinicians at the Royal test new ideas, find better ways of delivering care and improve health outcomes for Tasmanians.
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Royal Hobart Hospital Research Foundation
