title: Patient-based outcomes after tibia fracture in children and adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tibia fractures are common in pediatric patients and time necessary to return to normal function may be underappreciated. The purpose of this study was to assess functional recovery in pediatric patients who sustain tibia fractures, utilizing the Pediatrics Outcome Data Collection Instrument (PODCI), in order to provide evidence-based information on post-injury functional limitations and anticipated recovery times.
  
  
  METHODS
  84patients (out of 264 eligible patients, response rate 32%) age 1.5-18 years treated for a tibia fracture at a large children's hospital between 1/07 and 4/08 completed a PODCI questionnaire at 6 and 12 months post-injury. PODCI questionnaires were compared to previously reportednormal controls using Student's t-test in six categories.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 6 months after injury, the Sports functioning PODCI score was significantly less than healthy controls in both the parent reports for adolescent (mean 88.71 versus 95.4) and adolescent self-report (mean 90.44 versus 97.1); these showed no difference at 12 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For adolescents who sustain fractures of the tibia, there remains a negative impact on their sports functioning after 6 months that resolves by 12 months. Physicians can counsel their patients that although they may be limited in their sports function for some time after injury, it is anticipated that this will resolve by one year from the time of injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Level II.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California at San Francisco, USA.
authors.forename: Coleen S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Sabatini
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California at San Francisco, Benioff Children's Hospital, USA.
authors.forename: Tracy A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Curtis
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Orthopaedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School, USA.
authors.forename: Susan T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Mahan
keywords: PODCI; Tibia fracture; ankle fracture.; patient based outcomes; pediatric trauma