title: Radiation exposure during skeletal traction treatment of pediatric femoral fractures.
abstract: Radiation-exposure data during femoral fracture management has not been previously reported. We report a retrospective analysis of radiation exposure in 45 patients aged 5-12 years (average, 8.3) with isolated femoral shaft fractures treated by 90/90 degrees femoral skeletal traction. Group I had 32 patients aged 5-9 years (average, 7.3), and group II had 13 patients of an average age of 10.7 years. Total average radiation dose before casting was 0.699 rads and was independent of age and gender. In addition to potential complications of tractions and increased hospital stay with attendant fiscal and psychosocial burdens, radiation exposure with this type of management, in this series, was significant.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit 48201, USA.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Stanitski
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Monroe
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Stanitski
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Minster
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*; D005592:Fracture Fixation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014143:Traction / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States