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New research from the University of Oxford has shown that doctors can simplify treatment for the most common fracture in children, reducing NHS costs.

Child with a bandaged wrist

Torus fractures (also called buckle fractures) of the wrist are the most common type of broken bone in children affecting about 60K alone a year in the UK. It is the mildest form of broken bone in which the distal radius bone crushes (or buckles), instead of breaking.

National and international guidelines and practice for treatment varies. Doctors prescribe either the use of a plaster cast or hard splint to immobilise the wrist, or offer a bandage, but no 'standard' treatment has been agreed.

Daniel Perry, Associate Professor, Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery at Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology & Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS), University of Oxford explained: "It is a common belief amongst both families and clinicians that a fracture needs plaster cast immobilisation to ensure adequate healing. However, evidence suggested that a bandage or no treatment was just as effective. We started the FORCE trial because it was not clear how much difference each treatment made to a patient's recovery."

Read the full story on the NDORMS website.