title: Comparison of compression plate and flexible intramedullary nail fixation in pediatric femoral shaft fractures.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare the results of compression plating and flexible intramedullary nailing for pediatric femoral shaft fractures. Thirty-eight consecutive patients with 40 femoral shaft fractures were evaluated. Twenty-two femoral segments were treated with a compression plate and 18 femoral segments were treated with flexible intramedullary nailing. The time to healing, operation time and complications were evaluated. The average operation time was statistically significantly shorter in the nailing group (P=0.039). Four implant failures occurred in the compression plate group whereas one non-union was observed in the flexible nailing group. Flexible intramedullary nailing seems to provide a high union rate with a shorter operation time when compared with plate fixation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Omur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Caglar
authors.forename: Mehmet C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Aksoy
authors.forename: Muharrem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yazici
authors.forename: Adil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Surat
mesh_terms: D001858:Bone Nails; D001860:Bone Plates; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011859:Radiography; D014025:Titanium; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014025:Titanium