Supra Condylar Fracture of the Humerus in Children;

Abstract

Supra condylar fractures in children are a serious injury with a significant morbidity. Setting: CMH Multan. Patients presentvery late, often after being mishandled by traditional bone-setters, with lifelong consequences. All children up to the age of 12 years withsupra condylar humeral fractures presenting to our hospital were included in the study. Careful history and examination was carried outand necessary x-rays were taken. Time since injury, all treatments administered, complications and any other data was recorded. Period:From 1999 to 2004. 304 cases were included in the study. Only 12% patients presented within 24 hours. 87.5% children presented from72 hours to 3 weeks post injury. The reasons recorded were lack of access to proper medical help, illiteracy, poverty and manipulation bytraditional bone setters. Based on Gartland's Classification1 61% patients had un-displaced and 39% had displaced fractures. 61% wereType I fractures, 19% Type II and 20% Type III fractures. Due to late presentation these patients had more complications including myositisossificans, neurological complications and contractures due to tight bandages by traditional health bone setters. Patients with displacedsupracondylar fractures, who present early, usually require manipulation and fixation by percutaneous pinning 2,3,4. In our study,because of very late presentation they could not be treated by closed reduction and 18 %cases with type III fractures were treated by OpenReduction and Internal Fixation. Since they presented very late and had complications like Radial nerve palsy, Median nerve palsy, Ulnar5 nerve palsy , ischemia, Brachial artery compression, Compartment syndrome, Volkmann's ischemic contracture the treatment protocolhad to be changed. Post operative complications in a few patients included Pin tract infection and Elbow stiffness. In most cases full rangeof movement could not be achieved, however functional movement was satisfactory. These resulted in less patient satisfaction andlifelong consequences. To conclude our study shows that due to very late presentation of supracondylar fractures of the humerus inchildren different management protocols have to be made, tailored to individual needs of the patient.