title: Remodelling after distal forearm fractures in children. III. Correction of residual angulation in fractures of the radius.
abstract: The outcome of residual angulation of the radius after 38 distal forearm fractures in children was investigated. The period of observation ranged from 4 months to 10 years and 8 months. The correction of a residual angulation after a fracture was shown to be governed by three factors. 1. An increase in the time between healing of the fracture and completed growth at the epiphyseal plates resulted in a more complete correction. 2. A larger adaxial dislocation of the epiphyseal plate at the time of healing of the fracture, reflecting a larger primary fracture angulation and a greater distance from the fracture to the epiphyseal plate, resulted in a less complete correction. 3. A more complete correction or overcorrection of the distal epiphyseal plate increased the correction of the angulation of the fracture. These findings strongly indicate that the process of correction of a residual angulation after a healed fracture can be explained in terms of the combined effects of the direction and amount of longitudinal growth at the epiphyseal plate. A trigonometrical equation based on this theory predicted the residual angulations of the fractures, at follow-up, with an error of less than 1 degree.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004838:Epiphyses / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005543:Forearm Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D011859:Radiography; D011884:Radius / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery*; D014945:Wound Healing