title: [406 femoral fractures in children].
abstract: 406 fractures of the femur in persons younger than 17 years of age were treated at Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, from January 1980 to December 1993. The incidence was 35/100,000 per year; 57/100,000 for boys, and 24/100,000 for girls. No significant changes in the incidence occurred during the study period. 70% of the fractures occurred in boys. 78% had an isolated fracture, while 7% had other fractures, 7% head injuries and 8% injuries of multiple organs as well. Traffic accidents accounted for 35% of the fractures. 65% of the femur fractures were treated by skeletal traction (mean hospitalisation 30 days), 21% were operated on initially (hospitalisation 12 days), and 14% were given early spica cast (hospitalisation three days). The results of the treatment were generally satisfactory. Neither anisomelia (8.5% more than 10 mm) nor malrotation (12% more than 10 degrees) of the femur was a serious problem, but the length of time the patients were hospitalized was rather long.
authors.affiliation: Ortopedisk avdeling Haukeland Sykehus, Bergen.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vetti
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lindtjørn
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Engesaeter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005592:Fracture Fixation; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology