The CARBO CARBON Study
Recruiting now
Conditions studied: Metacarpal Shaft Fractures, Greenhouse Gas Emissions
In brief
This study examines the environmental impact of two common treatment pathways for hand fractures (metacarpal shaft fractures): surgical and non-surgical management. Healthcare contributes significantly to climate change, and orthopedic surgery in particular generates substantial greenhouse gas emissions. Although surgical treatment is frequently favored for these fractures, it is not always superior to non-surgical treatment, and the difference in environmental impact between these options is not well understood. In this study, researchers will measure and compare the environmental impact of each treatment pathway, from inclusion to twelve months follow-up. This includes environmental impact related to single-use material, medical equipment, energy use, medications, and waste. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) will be performed and a mean difference in environmental impact between treatments pathways will be calculates. A Hotspot analysis will also be performed to highlight key sources of environmental impacts. The findings may help guide more sustainable healthcare practices without compromising patient care.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT07521943
- Run by
- Karolinska Institutet
- People needed
- 30
- Starts
- 2026-03-23
- Expected to finish
- 2028-03-01
- Last updated by the study team
- 2026-06-04
Who can join
Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.
You may not qualify if…
- 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 is running
- Karolinska Institutet, Danderyd's hospital — Stockholm, Stockholm County, Sweden (enrolling)
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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