title: Flexible titanium nailing for the treatment of the unstable pediatric tibial fracture.
abstract: Tibia fractures in the skeletally immature patient can usually be treated without surgery. The purpose of this study was to assess the use of flexible titanium nails in the tibia that requires operative stabilization. Over a 5-year period, 16 unstable tibia fractures in 14 patients were treated with flexible titanium intramedullary nails. All charts and radiographs were reviewed. The average age was 10 years 4 months. There were three open fractures. All fractures healed. Closed injuries obtained union by an average of 8 weeks, open fractures by an average of 15 weeks. There were no malunions. The average follow-up was 1 year 5 months. There were no instances of growth arrest, remanipulations, or refracture. In the unstable pediatric tibia fracture, flexible titanium nails are an effective treatment to obtain and maintain alignment and stability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Golisano Children's Hospital, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, 08816, USA.
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Weisman
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ronchetti
authors.forename: Christopher P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Piller
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maloney
mesh_terms: D001858:Bone Nails / Q000592:standards; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D014025:Titanium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014025:Titanium