Risk Factors for Loss of Fixation of Pediatric Supracondylar Humeral Fractures.

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Institutional review board approval was obtained for this study which ia a retrospective case control had analyzed of 256 consecutive supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children admitted from January 2010 to December 2012 operated by 17 surgeons and residents. The institu¬tion is located in a rural setting and is a referral center for trauma for the region. All patients with open growth plates and those aged below 12 years who were treated for a supracondylar humerus fracture during the study period were included. Patients with open fractures were excluded from the study. Clinical data and radiographs were obtained from stored clinical records and the medical records for the patients were reviewed to con¬firm correct documentation of data related to age, gender, Body mass index(BMI), side of injury,energy type of injury, fracture type, surgical details, pin configuration, presence of associated injuries; nerve injury; vascular injury and timing of surgery.
The main outcome was the frequency of loss of reduction after treatment with open or closed reduction and fixation with k -wires which needed re-operation .
An unacceptable reduction and loss reduction were defined as excessive rotation or transla¬tion of bone fragment. Rotational mal-alignment was defined on a lateral radiograph as a 3-mm difference existed in the width of the bone at the fracture site between the proximal and distal fragments (Figure 1). Translational mal-alignment was defined on a lateral radiograph as less than 50% cortical contact existed between the proximal and distal fragments (Figure 2). 8
Poor surgical technique was defined as the lack of fixation of one or more wires either in the distal or in the proximal fragment, convergence of the pin...

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...nt to referral center and may be need to open reduction.
For conclusion, the loss of reduction following fracture fixation is assonated with poor surgical technique which inadequate purchase of the fragments by the pins or inadequate spread in lateral pinning. Cross pinning was found to be appropriate to fixation . In Gartland type 3 which unstable had trended to more loss of reduction after fixation. For the obese children(BMI>25), they also had risk for loss reduction. For this condition ,the surgeons may be carefully for treat supracondylar fracture with good operative technique and fixation. While the intra operative clarified of the fracture configuration may help in achieving good outcome. And other factors such as the fracture patterns, quality of initial reduction, time to surgery and timing of surgery were not associated with loss of reduction .

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