OUTCOME OF OPEN REDUCTION AND INTERNAL FIXATION OF DISPLACED MEDIAL EPICONDYLE HUMERUS FRACTURES IN CHILDREN

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BACKGROUND: Medical epicondyle fracture is one of the commonest elbow fracture in children.Various treatment options exist inadequate treatment leads to elbow deformity. Our study will highlightone treatment option with open reduction and fixation with k-wires or one screw and one k-wire.OBJECTIVE: To determine the functional outcome of open reduction and internal fixation ofdisplaced medial epicondyle humerus fractures in children.MATERIAL AND METHODS: This Descriptive cross sectional study was conducted simultaneouslyat five orthopaedic units: Orthopaedic Unit District Headquarter Hospital Timergara Lower Dir,Orthopaedic Unit, Saidu Teaching Hospital Swat, Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Khalifa GulNawaz Teaching Hospital Bannu, Orthopaedics and Traumatology Unit “ A” Lady Reading HospitalPeshawar and Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma, Pak International Medical College Peshawarfrom January 2012 to September 2014. Twenty one children meeting the inclusion criteria were operatedunder general anaesthesia and tourniquet control and fracture was stabilized with either two kirschnerwires or a screw and single kirschner wire. All patients were discharged on first or second postoperativeday and advised active movements of fingers. Patients were called for follow up visit after two, six andtwelve weeks and elbow functions and deformity was evaluated in each visit using modified criteria ofHardacre et al (25).RESULTS: Twenty one patients including 14 males and 7 females with mean age 12.3 years (range 6 to15 years) had displaced fracture of medial epicondyle and were operated. Two of our patients were lostin follow up and they were excluded from the final results. After evaluating our results according tomodified Hardacre et al criteria, five patients (26.32%) had excellent results, eleven (57.89%) patientshad good results and three (15.78%) patients had poor results.CONCLUSION: Early surgical stabilization of displace medial epicondyle humerus fractures inchildren results in excellent and good functional outcome in majority of patients.KEY WORDS: Medial epicondyle humerus, Open reduction and internal fixation, Kirschner wire.