Carbon footprint comparison of surgery versus non-surgical care for metacarpal shaft fractures

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This is a prospective multicentre observational comparative cohort conducted alongside the randomized CARBO trial at Karolinska Institutet and Danderyd's Hospital. Researchers will measure greenhouse gas emissions across the entire treatment pathway from injury to 12 months using a bottom-up carbon footprint approach and an environmentally extended input-output model where needed. Emissions within defined Scopes 2 and 3 will be expressed as kilograms of CO2 equivalent per treatment pathway, with primary outcome the difference in mean CO2e between surgical and non-operative groups and secondary outcomes including waste, emission hotspots, and direct cost differences. Appropriate statistical tests plus one-way sensitivity and scenario analyses will be used to estimate differences and test robustness.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria for the CARBO trial:

Age ≥18 years.

Access to a valid e-mail.

Injury within 10 days prior to inclusion.

Normal bilateral hand function prior to injury.

Ability and willingness to provide written informed consent

Single, displaced spiral or oblique diaphyseal fracture of the second to fifth metacarpals with definition of diaphysis as described by AO 2018 (AO/OTA as 77.2-5.2A) (Meinberg et al., 2018).

Fracture line length at least twice the diameter of the bone at the level of the fracture.

Fractures with at least 2 mm of radiological displacement and/or malrotation of injured finger compared to uninjured side regardless of fracture displacement.

Exclusion Criteria:

The patient is not expected to have difficulty adhering to the study protocol (e.g., due to insufficient language proficiency, dementia, substance abuse, or other reasons).

The patient does not have an open fracture (Gustilo-Anderson grade \> I) or a pathological fracture.

The patient does not have an ipsilateral fracture of the upper extremity, polytrauma, or generalized joint dysfunction (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis).

Where it's running

• Karolinska Institutet, Danderyd's hospital
  Stockholm, Stockholm County, Sweden Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Cecilia Mellstrand Navarro, MD, PhD, ass professor — Karolinska Institutet
• Study coordinator: Cecilia Mellstrand Navarro, MD, PhD
• Email: cecilia.mellstrand.navarro@ki.se
• Phone: +46709280114

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.