Surgical treatment results of pediatric humerus supracondylar fractures

Objective: In this study, we aim to determine the results of the surgical treatment methods that were used in the surgical treatment of the pediatric humerus supracondylar fractures in our clinic and to compare them with the literature.Material and Methods: Thirty patients, that were diagnosed in the Orthopaedics and Traumatology Clinic of School of Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University between 2004 February and 2007 November, with humerus supracondylar fractures (12 girls and 18 boys) were included into the study. Mean age of the patients was 5.9 (ranging between 2 and 14 yearsIn this study, demographic data of the patients, causes of the fracture, fracture types, injuries accompanying the fracture, surgical methods, postoperative complications, cosmetic and functional results were evaluated.Results: There were 30 patients with displaced humerus supracondylar fractures and 12 (40%) of them were girls and 18 (60%) of them were boys. 16 (53.3%) of the patients have fractures on the right side and 14 (46.6%) of them have on the left side. Mean follow-up duration of the patients was 13.36 months (ranging between 3 and 30 months). Mean age of the patients was 5.9 (ranging between 2 and 14 years). The most frequent presentation of the humerus supracondylar fractures was in May (30%). The most frequent etiology of the fractures was domestic traumas. All the cases were extension type fractures. Three (10%) of the patients have peripheric nerve injury at the initial examination. While 26 (86.6%) of the patients underwent open reduction internal fixation, 4 (13.3%) of them underwent closed reduction internal fixation. Twenty-six (80%) of them underwent cross pinning and 4 of them underwent pinning once on the medial and twice on the lateral side. The most chosen incision was lateral (15 patients, 57.6%). Superficial nail infection developed in 4 patients. There was cubitus varus deformity in 2 patients (6.6%). Ulnar nerve lesion developed in a patient who underwent cross pinning with lateral incision. Functional and cosmetic results of the patients were determined according to the Flynn criteria. While 27 of the patients have satisfying results, 3 of them have bad results. Measurement of the mean HEW angle was -1.53°. Mean Baumann angle was measured as 72.6°. Measure of mean corpus-condyle angle was 44.4°.Conclusion: Surgical treatment in the pediatric humerus supracondylar fractures was thougt to be a succesful treatment option in terms of anatomic reduction availability, short- term of hospital stay and satisfying functional and cosmetic results.