title: Rates of refracture associated with external fixation in pediatric femur fractures.
abstract: We conducted a small retrospective study of rates of early complications associated with external fixation of pediatric femur fractures and compared rates at our institution with those reported in the literature. In our series of 22 patients, early complications included 12 pin-track infections (54.5%), 2 cases of loss of reduction (9.1%), 1 pin-track abscess (4.5%), and 1 refracture (4.5%). Overall rates (ours combined with those reported by other investigators) were 4.7% (34/719) for refractures and 33.1% (224/677) for pin-track infections. Factors that correlated with refractures were open fracture, bilateral fracture, and longer time in fixator. Factors with inconclusive correlations were fracture pattern, dynamization status, fixator type, pin size, and number of pins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, 301 University Blvd, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555-0165, USA. kdcarmic@utmb.edu
authors.forename: Kelly D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Carmichael
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bynum
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Goucher
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D020878:Device Removal / Q000009:adverse effects; D016267:External Fixators; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005592:Fracture Fixation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure