title: Early spica treatment of pediatric femoral shaft fractures.
abstract: The purpose of this prospective study was to document results of early spica casting in treating all children aged 10 years or younger presenting during a 30-month period with a femoral shaft fracture. The outcome of 101 femoral shaft fractures thus treated demonstrated excellent results with few complications. Four spicas had to be removed at 7 to 10 days for unacceptable shortening and an additional four probably should have been. Control of alignment was not a problem, with only one patient's femur on cast removal being in a position different from that accepted at 7 to 10 days. An age older than 7 to 8 years is the only variable that might be used to predict the need for a change in treatment at 7 to 10 days.
authors.affiliation: Starship Children's Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: R O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Nicol
mesh_terms: D002370:Casts, Surgical; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000502:physiology; D006615:Hip; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome