The Role of Continuous Passive Motion in Pain Control After Surgery for Isolated Acetabular, Supracondylar Femur, or Tibial Plateau Fractures: A Comparative Study

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the use of continuous passive motion (CPM) devices to manage pain and reduce the need for narcotic pain medications in patients undergoing surgery to fix pelvic and knee fractures, including acetabular, supracondylar femur, and tibial plateau fractures. This prospective comparative cohort study involves patients over 18 years who have had open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for these isolated fractures, with the goal to directly compare outcomes for those using CPM versus those receiving standard care without CPM. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. The experimental group will use a CPM device starting immediately after surgery while awake in bed, with cycles of 2 hours on and 2 hours off when not engaged in physical therapy. They will also receive traditional physical therapy sessions one to three times a week. The control group will receive typical care, including physical therapy one to three times a week, but no CPM device. The study will monitor pain levels and narcotic use during the hospital stay and assess functional outcomes at one year. During the hospital stay, nurses and physical therapists will record daily pain scores using a visual analog scale (VAS), and pain medication requirements will be tracked. Patients will be checked daily for incision healing and monitored for any adverse events related to CPM. One year after surgery, functional outcomes will be assessed using the Iowa and Majeed pelvic function tools and the SF-12 health survey. Data collection will be done through the Epic medical records system, with demographic and fracture details recorded for analysis.

Continuous Passive Motion Following Fixation of Pelvic and Knee Fractures