Supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children.

We undertook a retrospective study of 39 children with displaced supracondylar fractures treated by delayed closed reduction with fluoroscopic guidance. After 3-5 days of side-arm traction, swelling had usually diminished sufficiently to allow the elbow to be safely hyperflexed to stabilize the fracture after elective closed reduction. This method yielded 92% good or excellent results. There were no vascular problems or Volkmann's contractures.     

Supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children

Supracondylar fractures of the humerus need a precise treatment in order to obtain a satisfactory result because of the low bone remodeling associated with these injuries. It is important to use a systematic procedure for closed reduction and percutaneous fixation. A retrospective review of fractures treated using two K-wires from the lateral side was done in 77 patients with a mean age of 6.7 years (range, 1-13 years). Displacement of the fracture was classified as Gartland Type II in 39 patients (50.6%) and Gartland Type III in 38 patients (49.4%). The results according to Flynn criteria were excellent in 70 patients (90.9%), fair in three patients (3.9%) and poor in four patients (5.2%), with overall satisfactory results in 96.1% of the cases. In four patients there was secondary displacement of the fragments in internal rotation and three of these patients were operated on again, increasing fixation with a third K-wire either from the lateral or medial side. There were two nerve lesions (2.6%), and four patients (5.2%) had a pulseless pink hand that recovered when the fracture was reduced. In three patients (3.9%) infection developed. To obtain satisfactory results using this procedure, enough stability should be achieved, avoiding iatrogenic damage of the ulnar nerve.     

Supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children

Thirty-five children were evaluated at a mean of 2 years, 3 months following treatment of supracondylar fractures of the humerus. Elbow motion, clinical carrying angle, and roentgenographic measurements including Baumann's angle, humeral-ulnar angle, and metaphyseal-diaphyseal angle were determined for both the normal and the involved extremities. The humeral-ulnar angle best correlated with the final clinical carrying angle, followed by Baumann's angle and the metaphyseal-diaphyseal angle. We recommend postreduction measurement of the humeral-ulnar angle in fractures that have been surgically stabilized and Baumann's angle in those fractures treated by cast immobilization alone to determine the adequacy of reduction.     

Supracondylar humerus fractures in children. Comparison of operative treatment methods

A retrospective analysis was performed of 87 children treated operatively for supracondylar humerus fractures by 18 different surgeons during a 6-year period. No patient suffered from compartment syndrome or Volkmann's ischemic contracture. Early postoperative fracture displacement occurred in four (7%) of 60 patients with Type III fractures, and in one (4%) of 23 patients with Type II fractures. Displacement occurred in one (2%) of 52 Type III fractures stabilized with crossed medial and lateral Kirschner wires, whereas displacement occurred in two (28%) of seven Type III fractures stabilized with lateral wires only. Thirty-four patients could be located for long-term followup; complete examination of both upper extremities was performed on these 34 patients at an average of 33 months postoperatively. The long-term results were excellent in 19 (56%), good in seven (21%), fair in one (3%), and poor in seven (21%) patients. Five additional patients were not available for followup at the time of the current study, but had followup of at least 6 months available. Of the 39 patients with followup of at least 6 months, five patients' fractures (13%) healed with coronal plane malalignment greater than 10 degrees which resulted in gunstock deformity. There was no statistically significant relationship between treatment method and gunstock deformity. However, none of the patients with gunstock deformity had compromised activity because of the deformity, and all had full elbow extension and at least 130 degrees elbow flexion.     

Supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children. Treatment by straight lateral traction

Ninety-eight children with severely displaced supracondylar fractures of the humerus were treated by straight lateral traction. After a mean follow-up period of 3.5 years there were 90 satisfactory and only eight unsatisfactory results. Cubitus varus was present in only four children, which compares favourably with the results of operative treatment. The indications for straight lateral traction, and the advantages of this method, are discussed.     

Supracondylar humerus fractures in children: a comparison of experiences

The most common elbow lesions found in pediatric practice are supracondylar fractures. We compared two groups of 34 patients each with a supracondylar humerus fracture grade III (Gartland classification). The first group was treated with percutaneous pinning with Kirschner wires, with patients in a supine position, sometimes preceded by transkeletal traction. The second group was treated with percutaneous pinning with Kirschner wires, with patients in a prone position, within 6 h of the trauma. No statistically significant differences with regard to clinical outcomes and neurovascular complications were revealed in the comparison. Therefore, we can state that both treatment techniques used are valid.     

Supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children. A modified technique for closed pinning

Complications in the treatment of displaced supracondylar fractures of the humerus (DSFH), particularly cubitus varus, are a persistent problem. A prospective study was conducted on 20 children with DSFH, using a modified technique to reduce and pin the fracture. All fractures were treated with closed reduction and percutaneous pinning. After the fracture was internally fixed, intraoperative anteroposterior roentgenograms of each distal humerus were compared, using Baumann's angle. The reduction was accepted if Baumann's angle on the fractured extremity was within 4 degrees of that on the normal side. If the angles were not within 4 degrees, the closed reduction and percutaneous pinning was repeated. In this prospective series, all patients had a reduction to within 4 degrees of the normal side before they left the operating room. Three weeks after percutaneous pinning, the pins were removed and range of motion was begun. All patients returned for clinical and roentgenographic examination. With an average follow-up period of 17.2 months, all patients had excellent or good results. No patient developed cubitus varus deformity. Strict adherence to the guidelines of the protocol prevented cubitus varus deformity in this series of children with DSFH.     

Supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children; classification (author's transl)

Late results after supracondylar fractures of the humerus in childhood were examined in 78 patients. Felsenreich's graduation was used. In cases of type III the late results are better than in type II, consequently this classification does not permit the various degrees of the injury to be differentiated.     

Supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children. Analysis at maturity of fifty-three patients treated conservatively

From a pool of 131 supracondylar fractures of the humerus in 131 patients who were treated conservatively, all of which healed in an average time of 4.5 weeks without complications related to the treatment itself, the cases of fifty-three patients were reviewed at maturity. The average age at follow-up was twenty-six years. Nine patients had unimportant limitation of elbow motion, and slight atrophy of the musculature of the arm or forearm, or of both, was present in six patients. Arm-length discrepancy was never observed. The carrying angle remained at about the same value that had been present at the time of fracture-healing in eighteen patients, decreased in twenty-two patients, and increased in thirteen. Malrotation of the distal fragment of the fracture only rarely caused medial tilting of the fragment with consequent cubitus varus. Varus deformity was present in four patients and valgus deformity, in three. None of the patients with valgus deformity had ulnar-nerve palsy. According to our results, varus and valgus deformities of the elbow after supracondylar fractures of the humerus seem to be caused either by growth imbalance of the growth plate of the distal end of the humerus (four patients) or by malreduction of the fracture (three patients). Twelve patients in the entire pool had neurological complications at the time of the fracture. Ten of those patients fully recovered from the deficit, whereas two--one with a radial-nerve deficit and the other with ulnar-nerve involvement--still had neurological impairment at follow-up.     

Supracondylar humerus fractures in children treated with closed reduction and percutaneous pinning

Supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children are important for frequency and type of associated serious complications. The management of this kind of fractures is still controversial (Skaggs et al. in J Bone Joint Surg Am 86:702–707, 2004; Kalllio et al. in J Pediatr Orthop 12:11–15, 1992). We are going to present our experience in the treatment of supracondylar humeral fracture in children. In the Orthopedic Department of Pisa, we treated 150 cases from 1989 to 2006. We are used to perform, emergency or within 12 h, reduction and two lateral-entry percutaneous pins fixation. The mean age was 7.5 years. We checked 125 cases, because we excluded all the cases with follow up less then 5 years. The mean follow up was 8.2 years. We used Gartland classification modified by Wilkins. We evaluated 125 cases by using the Flynn classification: 100 % of patients did not have impairment of the elbow joint mobility. We had seven valgus deviation, one of which was more then 10°. We also had 17 varus deviations, 11 of which were not over 8° and only 2 of them were 15°. The average value of the joint Baumann angle was calculated as great as 16°. The obtained results were classified as very good 80 %, good 11 %, sufficiently good 6 %, and bad 3 %. In our experience, all the fractures type II and III by Gartland have to be treated within 12 h, with closed reduction and stabilization with lateral-entry K-wire technique. The conservative treatment by cast is indicated only in type I fracture. The trans olecranic treatment is not realizable, for the stiffness which can occur, for the risk of iatrogenic ulnar nerve lesion, and for long-time hospitalization. The open reduction remains the first choice treatment for exposed or nonreducible fractures, and in cases of vascular injury.