Table 1. Basic characteristics of studies

No	Author	Intervention	Control	Sample size (n)	Gender (male/female)	Mean age (yr)	Fracture classification	Follow-up (mo)
Immobilization methods
1	Park et al. [6]	PC SAC	PC LAC	I: 36C: 33	I: 2/34C: 4/29	I: 66.1C: 67.5	Stable fracture	6
2	Caruso [7]	PC SAC	PC LAC	I: 37C: 37	I: 3/33C: 4/32	I: 72.3C: 69.5	Extra-articular and dorsal displacement (type 2R3A2.2)	3
3	Okamura et al. [8]	PC SAC	PC LAC	I: 64C:64	I: 23/41C: 17/47	I: 60.52±14.74C: 62.97±13.03	2R3A2/2R3A3/2R3C1/2R3C2/2R3C3	6
Immobilization periods
1	Christersson et al. [9]	PC 10 d	PC 10 d+3 wk	I: 54C: 55	I: 7/47C: 4/51	I: 67C: 64.7	2R3A3/2R3C2/2R3C3	12
2	Bentohami et al. [10]	PC 3 wk	PC 5 wk	I: 36C: 36	I: 10/26C: 13/23	I: >60 yr in 41.67% of patientsC: >60 yr in 50% of patients	Stable fractures	12
3	Boersma et al. [11]	PC 1 wk	PC 4–5 wk	I: 26C: 14	I: 7/19C: 4/10	I: 52.3±16.2C: 56.5±9.6	2R3A/2R3B/2R3C	12
4	Olech et al. [12]	PC 4 wk	PC 6 wk	I: 26C: 24	33 women+17 men	I: 71.34±4.99C: 72.2±5.46	Stable fractures	12–18

PC, plaster cast; SAC, short-arm cast; LAC, long-arm cast; I, intervention; C, control.