This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Higher risk of epiphyseal fractures seen in obese vs non-obese children
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
SAN FRANCISCO — Compared to their peers, obese children sustained more epiphyseal fractures and fewer metaphyseal fractures, according to findings presented here.
“We found a higher risk of epiphyseal fractures and a higher likelihood of operative intervention for treatment of femur fractures [in obese children] and no difference in complication rate,” Shawn R. Gilbert, MD, said during his presentation at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 2012 Annual Meeting.
Gilbert and his colleagues hypothesized that obese children would have different injury patterns and outcomes after sustaining lower extremity long bone fractures than non-obese controls. They used data from trauma registries to identify children who sustained long bone fractures after blunt trauma. The team included 356 children between the ages of 2 years and 14 years. Obesity was defined as greater than the 95th percentile for age. Of the study group, 14% were obese.
The investigators examined radiographs and classified injuries using the AO/OTA classification. They also noted whether the patients received operative or non-operative care.
Gilbert and his colleagues discovered that more of the obese children suffered epiphyseal fractures compared to their peers, but had a lower risk of metaphyseal fractures. They also found that obese patients received operative treatment more than non-obese children. The complication rates between the study groups were not statistically significant, Gilbert said.
Reference:
- Gilbert SR, Sawyer JR, Backstrom IC, MacLennan P. Lower extremity long bone fractures in obese vs. non-obese pediatric trauma patients. Paper #228. Presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 2012 Annual Meeting. Feb. 7-11. San Francisco.
- Disclosure: Gilbert has no relevant financial disclosures.
Follow
OrthoSuperSite.com on Twitter