Therapeutic comparison of titanium elastic nailing and plating in treatment of both radius and ulna fracture in children

Abstract

Objective To compare the effect of titanium elastic nailing (TEN) and plating in treatment of both radius and ulna fractures in children older than 10 years. Methods This retrospective analysis comprised 38 children (50 sides) of both radius and ulna fractures treated with TEN (30 sides) or plate (20 sides) between 2009 and 2014. Parameters compared between the two fixation methods were operation time, ratio of open/close reduction, time to internal fixation removal, incidence of postoperative complications, and bone union time. Anderson score was used to evaluate the treatment results. Results Operation time [(94.3±39.5)min vs (120.5±45.4)min], time to internal fixation removal[(210.8±84.1)d vs (264.4±88.9)d], and ratio of open/close reduction (20/10 vs 20/0) varied significantly between TEN and plating groups (P<0.05 or 0.01). Whereas, no statistically significant differences were noted in regard to complication rate, bone union time, and effect evaluation. Conclusion For fracture of the radius and ulna in children older than 10 years, TEN should be used for closed type without obvious displacement, but plate fixation is associated with lower incidence of fracture malunion and better outcome in treatment of open type with obvious displacement. Key words: Ulna fractures; Radius fractures; Child; Fracture fixation, internal