title: EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY OF CHILDREN DIAPHYSEAL FEMORAL FRACTURES.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the personal, fracture, treatment and complication characteristics among patients with pediatric femoral shaft fractures attended at the pediatric orthopedic service of the Joana de Gusmão Children's Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective cross-sectional study on a population consisting of patients with femoral shaft fractures, aged between birth and 14 years and 11 months, who were divided into four age groups. Information was obtained from medical records and was transferred to a survey questionnaire to present personal, fracture, treatment and complication variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study population consisted of 96 patients. Their mean age was 6.8 years. The cases were predominantly among males, comprising closed fractures on the right side, in the middle third with a single line. Regarding fracture etiology, traffic accidents predominated overall in the sample. Most of the patients (74 to 77.1%) presented femoral fractures as their only injury. Conservative treatment predominated in the group younger than six years of age, and surgical treatment in the group aged 6 to 14 years and 11 months. The complications observed until bone union were: discrepancy, infection and movement limitation. The mean time taken for consolidation was 9.6 ± 2.4 weeks, varying with age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The features of these fractures were similar to those described in the literature and the treatment used showed good results. The Joana de Gusmão Children's Hospital has used the treatment proposed in the literature for pediatric femoral shaft fractures.
authors.affiliation: Resident Physician in Orthopedics and Traumatology, Joana de Gusmão Children's Hospital, Florianopolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cassiano Ricardo
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.affiliation: Resident Physician in Orthopedics and Traumatology, Joana de Gusmão Children's Hospital, Florianopolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo Franceschini
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Traldi
authors.affiliation: Orthopedist at Joana de Gusmão Children's Hospital, Florianopolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Posser
keywords: Child; Femoral Fractures; Retrospective Studies