The results of closed reduction and percutaneous pinning in supracondylar fractures of humerus in children

Abstract

Introduction: Supracondylar fracture of the humerus is the most common type of elbow injury in children, accounting for 60% of fractures in this area and represent about 3% of all the fractures in children. Treatment of supracondylar fractures is fraught with many complications including Volkmann’s ischemic contracture, nerve injury, arterial injury, myositis ossificans and cubitus varus deformity. Closed reduction and percutaneous was initially described by Swenson and later popularized by Flynn et al. Materials and Methods: The present study consisted of thirty displaced supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children. All the patients were under thirteen years of age treated in Orthopaedics Department of Government Medical College, Jammu during the period of May 2015 to Oct. 2017.Fractures were classified according to Gartlands classification and all the displaced fractures were treated by closed reduction and percutaneous pinning under c-arm. Results: The minimum age was 4.5 years and maximum age was 11 yrs. Males outnumbered females in all the age groups. According to Flynn's criteria, excellent results were reported in 23 cases (76.7%), good in 4 cases (13.3%), fair in 2 cases (6.7%) and poor in one case (3.3%). The time of Radiological evidence of union was around 3-5 weeks. The average time of regaining normal range of motion was 9 weeks. Conclusion: This study shows that close reduction and percutaneous pinning under image intensifier is the treatment of choice in severely displaced supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children.