title: The safety of titanium elastic nailing in preschool femur fractures: a retrospective comparative study with spica cast.
abstract: One hundred and four nonpathological fresh femur fractures not involving the neck or condyles in two groups of preschool children were retrospectively compared and followed up for a minimum of 3 years. Group I was treated by a spica cast and group II was treated by a titanium elastic nail (TEN). The mean age of the children was 4.5 years. TEN was statistically better in terms of union (P=0.000), shortening (P=0.016), sagittal angulation (P=0.018), coronal angulation (P=0.022), rotation (P=0.014), earlier weight bearing (P=0.000), and earlier return to nursery (P=0.000). However, both groups had a similar overgrowth rate and hospital stay time. TEN in preschool children is a safe choice but involves a scar, risk of infection, and the need for a second operation.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Department, Sohag Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt. youryaser@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Yasser
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Assaghir
mesh_terms: D001858:Bone Nails / Q000009:adverse effects; D002370:Casts, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000628:therapy*; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014025:Titanium
chemical_list: D014025:Titanium