EFFECTIVENESS OF SKIN TRACTION IN REDUCING PAIN IN ADULTS WITH HIP FRACTURE

Background: Hip fractures are a significant cause of morbidity and hospitalization among older adults. Effective pain management in the preoperative period is crucial to improve comfort, reduce complications and enhance outcomes. Skin traction, a non-invasive mechanical method has historically been used to align fractures and alleviate pain by reducing muscle spasms and joint movement. However, its actual efficacy in pain reduction remains a subject of debate in clinical practice. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of skin traction in reducing pain among adults with hip fractures during the preoperative period, compared to standard analgesic management alone. Methods: A prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted involving 120 adult patients (aged ≥50 years) with radiologically confirmed hip fractures admitted to a Sughra Shafi Medical Complex. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: Group A (n=60), which received standard analgesic therapy along with skin traction, and Group B (n=60), which received standard analgesic therapy alone. Pain levels were measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at baseline, 6 hours, 12 hours, and 24 hours after intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0. Independent t-tests and repeated measures ANOVA were used to compare pain scores between groups. Results: Both groups showed a significant reduction in VAS scores over the 24-hour period. At 6 hours, the mean VAS score in Group A was 6.2 ± 1.1, compared to 6.4 ± 1.2 in Group B (p=0.24). At 12 hours, Group A had a VAS score of 5.1 ± 1.0 versus 5.4 ± 1.1 in Group B (p=0.08). At 24 hours, Group A reported a VAS score of 4.3 ± 0.9, while Group B had 4.6 ± 1.0 (p=0.05). Although Group A demonstrated a slightly greater reduction in pain at each time point, the differences were not statistically significant. No major complications related to skin traction were observed. Conclusion: Skin traction, when used in conjunction with standard analgesics, provides a modest but clinically marginal benefit in reducing pain in adults with hip fractures. The lack of statistically significant difference suggests that while skin traction may be a safe adjunctive therapy, its routine use for pain management in hip fracture patients may not be justified.