Brachial plexus nerve block versus haematoma block for closed reduction of distal radius fracture in adults: The BLOCK Trial - a protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Distal radius fractures account for one-fifth of all fractures in the active elderly population and may cause chronic pain, loss of hand function and reduced work productivity, imposing a significant socioeconomic burden. Most are initially treated with closed reduction and casting, but 30% subsequently require surgery due to insufficient realignment. The current approaches for analgesia for closed reduction are suboptimal.