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Clunky plaster casts really may be the best way of treating broken bones, a study suggests.
Patients who suffer fractures often complain about moulded casts, saying they are uncomfortable and smell.
But the alternative — using metal pins to hold broken bones in place while they heal — is no more effective, doctors say.
Trauma experts sought to find the best method for treating a broken wrist, one of the most commonly broken bones in both the UK and the US.
While the metal pin method, known as K wires, is the 'routine' treatment option, it is more expensive than plaster casts, which can cost as little as £9.
The procedure also requires surgery, meaning patients face all of the standard risks of an operation.
Traumatic injury experts have found using the cheaper and safer plaster cast for treating broken wrists had almost no downsides for the vast majority of patients
Experts at Oxford University analysed results of both methods on a group of 500 patients who broke their wrists.
Around half of the volunteers were given traditional plaster casts, while the others underwent surgery.
Over 12 months, patients were quizzed about how their injury was healing.
