This single-centre prospective randomized study consisted of 60 participants (50 women) with a mean age of 80.33 ± 11.13 years, randomly allocated to either manual medullary canal opening (n = 30) or mechanical drilling of the canal (n = 30). Outcomes were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively during a 72-hour follow-up period. This study had a prospective design. Outcomes were assessed preoperative and during the follow-up period to 72 hours after surgery. During follow-up, all patients underwent laboratory testing. Blood samples were collected 2 hours preoperatively and 72 hours postoperatively in order to determine blood concentrations of leukocytes, erythrocytes, platelets (×10⁹/L), haemoglobin (g/L), D-dimers (IU/L), prothrombin time, international normalized ratio (INR), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) (s), aPTT ratio, fibrinogen (g/L), creatinine (μmol/L), N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) (pg/mL), C-reactive protein (CRP) (mg/L), glucose, urea, sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and phosphorus (mmol/L), as well as bone metabolism markers: total procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide (tP1NP) (µg/L), N-min osteocalcin (N-mOST) (µg/L), C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (β-CTX) (ng/mL), and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP) (µg/L).
The investigatoras compared differences in blood parameters between the two groups at baseline, as well as differences after 72 hours. In addition, the investigators analysed the dynamics (baseline vs. 72 hours) of outcome measures between the two study groups.