Evaluation of the Functional Outcome of Both Bone Forearm Fractures in the Pediatric Population With the Titanium Elastic Nailing System in a Tertiary Care Center

Abstract

Background Forearm fractures are one of the most common injuries in the pediatric population. Diaphyseal fractures of the forearm, in particular, are among the most common injuries treated in the pediatric population. The incidence of both bone forearm fractures has increased in the past decade. Methodology This is a hospital-based retrospective study conducted from June 2020 to December 2022 at R. L. Jalappa Hospital and Research Centre in the orthopedics department after obtaining clearance from the institutional ethics committee. Once inclusion and exclusion criteria are met, participants with both bone forearm fractures were treated with the Titanium Elastic Nailing System (TENS). Data were entered and analyzed using IBM Corp. Released 2011, IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20.0 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, USA). Results Thirty patients were included in the study, with a mean age of 8.80 years. The majority were boys constituting 67% and girls constituting 33%. A road traffic accident was the mechanism of injury in the majority of patients (40%). The distal one-third forearm was the most common site fractured (63%). The mean flexion (active) at the elbow improved from 110°at at four weeks to 142° at 24 weeks. A restriction of about 23° in elbow extension at four weeks normalized to 0° at 24 weeks. The range of palmar flexion improved from 44° at four weeks to 68° at 24 weeks. The range of wrist dorsiflexion improved significantly over time from 46° at four weeks to 86° at 24 weeks. Complications such as delayed union and skin irritation were noted in two participants (6%). Conclusions Both bone forearm fractures treated with TENS have shown good results in terms of bony union and functional outcomes with the least complications.