title: External fixation of pediatric femoral shaft fractures: a consecutive study based on 45 fractures.
abstract: Forty-five displaced femur fractures in children were treated with unilateral external fixation as a standard treatment from March 2007 to March 2009 and the last follow-up was completed in May 2012. The average age of the children at presentation was 9.93 years. Patients were followed up till union, at 1 year, and at an average of 3.5 years after fixation. The fixator was removed at an average of 12.23 weeks. Twenty-one (47%) patients had a minor complication of pin-site infection. One patient had a major complication of refracture. Treatment of uncomplicated femur fractures using an external fixator in children yields satisfactory results. Our series had a longer duration of follow-up and fewer refractures compared with other series.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Government Hospital for Bone and Joint Surgery, Srinagar, India.
authors.forename: Mubashir M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Wani
authors.forename: Reyaz A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Dar
authors.forename: Irfan A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Latoo
authors.forename: Tariq
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.forename: Asif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sultan
authors.forename: Manzoor A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Halwai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D016267:External Fixators; D005260:Female; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005592:Fracture Fixation / Q000379:methods*; D017102:Fracture Healing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome