title: Treatment of femoral shaft fractures in children using intramedullary Kirschner wire pinning.
abstract: From 1996 to 2002 we used intramedullary Kirschner wires to treat 19 femoral shaft fractures in 19 children (11 boys, 8 girls). Their ages ranged from 2 to 13 years (mean 5.8 years). The mean follow-up time was 3 years (range 4 months to 4 years 9 months). The technique was intramedullary pinning using a 2.5- to 3.0-mm Kirschner wire introduced through the greater trochanter followed by spica casting. All cases achieved bone union within 3 months. The mean angular deformity was 1.7 degrees (range 0 degrees -5 degrees ), and one patient had an external rotational deformity. The mean overgrowth was 7.5 mm, but no patient had residual problems during activities of daily living. Our method has the following advantages: no need of traction, leaving bed earlier, ease of nursing, fewer radiographic examinations, less angular deformity. It also has several disadvantages: the need for an operation under general anesthesia, the need for metal removal, and an operation scar. This method can be considered as one option for treating femoral shaft fractures in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Ishikawa Central Prefectural Hospital, 2-1 Kuratsuki-Higashi, Kanazawa, 920-8530, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsubara
authors.forename: Hidetoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yasutake
authors.forename: Eizo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uehara
authors.forename: Mitsuyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niwada
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanzawa
mesh_terms: D001864:Bone Wires; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans