title: Risk of infection and secondary displacement in pediatric supracondylar or lateral condyle fractures treated with unburied Kirchener-wires removed before complete bone healing.
abstract: This study evaluated the risk of infection and of secondary displacement among children with displaced lateral condyle or supracondylar fractures treated by surgery. The study included a consecutive sample of 84 supracondylar fractures and 21 lateral condyle fractures treated with closed reduction and percutaneous pinning. The mean time to Kirchener wire removal was 29 days (range: 25-37 days) postsurgery. Two out of 105 (1.9%) patients developed infectious complications and two of 105 (1.9%) patients had a secondary displacement. Removal of unburied Kirchener wires before complete bone healing in the physician's office does not increase risk of infection or the risk of secondary displacement. The protocol does, however, enable significant savings and eliminates the need for additional anaesthetic.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital Estaing bCHU Clermont-Ferrand, Biostatistics Unit, DRCI, Clermont-Ferrand cDepartment of Spine Surgery, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Federation of Translational Medicine, Strasbourg, France dDepartment of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery, Regina Margherita Children's Hospital, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aubret
authors.forename: Thibaut
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lecointe
authors.forename: Mounira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mansour
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rousset
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Andreacchio
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Yann Philippe
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Charles
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Canavese
mesh_terms: D001858:Bone Nails; D001864:Bone Wires; D002648:Child; D004551:Elbow Joint / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D006810:Humeral Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011859:Radiography / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology*