title: T-condylar fractures of the distal humerus in children and adolescents.
abstract: This was a retrospective review of 17 T-condylar fractures in children and adolescents, aged 9-16 years. It examined the results by sex, age, arm injured, hand dominance, mechanism of injury, radiologic appearance, operative findings, operative procedure, outcome, and complications. There was a male-to-female ratio of 2.4:1. The large majority of patients received their fractures as a result of a fall. The majority of patients injured their nondominant left distal humerus. Five patients had a neuropathy, all of which spontaneously resolved. Fifteen patients underwent open reduction, internal fixation, with a mean postoperative follow-up of 16 months. The posteromedial (Bryan-Morrey) and the olecranon osteotomy approach resulted in a statistically significant better extension than the triceps-splitting approach (p < or = 0.05). Patients with articular damage had statistically significantly less extension at follow-up (p < or = 0.001). The use of continuous passive motion (CPM) in the immediate postoperative period resulted in a functional range of motion sooner and yielded a statistically significant increase in flexion at follow-up examination than when not used (p < or = 0.05).
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Re
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hresko
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004551:Elbow Joint / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal; D006801:Humans; D006810:Humeral Fractures / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome