Effects of Music on Procedural Pain in Distal Radius Fracture Reduction

Plain-language summary

This randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluates the effectiveness of music as a complementary intervention for pain control during non-surgical reduction of distal radius fractures in orthopedic patients. Distal radius fractures are among the most common traumatic injuries presenting to emergency departments and are frequently associated with intense procedural pain and significant physiological stress responses. Despite standard pharmacological analgesia, optimal pain management during fracture reduction remains a clinical challenge, and evidence regarding non-pharmacological adjuncts in the emergency orthopedic setting is still limited The study will enroll 192 adult patients admitted to the orthopedic emergency departments of AUSL Piacenza and AOU Parma with distal radius fractures requiring closed reduction. Participants will be randomly assigned (1:1:1) to one of three groups: a 20-minute session of patient-preferred music, a 20-minute session of standardized music selected by a music therapist, or standard care without music. Pain intensity will be assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), while physiological stress will be evaluated through heart rate and blood pressure measurements, collected at baseline (T0) and 20 minutes later (T1), immediately after the reduction procedure The trial is designed as a prospective, randomized, controlled study with blinded data analysis, and all data will be collected and managed in compliance with current privacy and data protection regulations. By generating robust evidence on a low-cost, safe, and easily implementable intervention, the PolSound trial aims to improve procedural pain management and patient experience in emergency orthopedic care, potentially supporting the integration of music-based interventions into standard analgesic protocols.

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