Treatment of femoral shaft fractures in young children: comparison between conservative treatment and retrograde flexible nailing.
Outcomes of pediatric femoral fractures treated with traction followed by cast (conservative treatment) were compared with flexible nailing treatment. Fifty-one femoral fractures (24 conservative, 27 nail) from 46 patients were studied retrospectively. Four cases of angular deformities greater than 10 degree were observed from the conservative treatment and none from the nailing group. Conservative treatment showed a wider variance of leg length discrepancy (LLD) and four cases showed severe LLD greater than 10 mm. The nailing group had no discrepancy. Retrograde flexible nailing may result in more reliable outcomes than conservative treatment for femoral fractures.
Song
Hae-Ryong
HR
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Chinju, Korea.
Oh
Chang-Wug
CW
Shin
Hyun-Dae
HD
Kim
Sung-Jung
SJ
Kyung
Hee-Soo
HS
Baek
Seung-Hoon
SH
Park
Byung-Chul
BC
Ihn
Joo-Chul
JC
D016723:Bone Remodeling / Q000502:physiology; D002370:Casts, Surgical; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007870:Leg Length Inequality / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014143:Traction; D016896:Treatment Outcome