Overview

The aim of the project is to evaluate the beneficial and harmful effects of an ultrasound-guided brachial plexus nerve block for patients with a distal radius (wrist) fracture in the need of realignment of fractured bone endings without cutting the skin (closed reduction), in comparison to a haematoma block, which is standard care in Denmark.

Every participant will receive one of the following types of anaesthesia for the realignment of the wrist fracture:

1. A nerve block of the arm (plexus brachialis block)
2. A haematoma block, which is the current standard anaesthesia in the emergency departments.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults (age ≥ 18 years) with a distal radius fracture in need of closed reduction

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who would never qualify for surgery according to local guidelines
• Lack of informed consent
• No Danish Central Person Register (CPR) number
• Allergies to the trial medication
• Distal radius fracture initially deemed to require surgery regardless of the outcome of the closed reduction
• Open fractures (fracture-related wound requiring sutures)
• Other fractures on the same extremity ((NOT including distal ulna fracture(s))
• Bilateral distal radius fractures both requiring closed reduction
• Concomitant medical or surgical condition taking priority over the closed reduction of the distal radius fracture.