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Complications seen in pediatric humeral fractures due to rotation, displacement
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Investigators who evaluated pediatric patients with supracondylar humerus fractures noted that complications and a need for physical or occupational therapy could be predicted based on fracture rotation, as well as coronal plane displacement.
The investigators followed 373 skeletally immature patients for 4 weeks, minimum, or until radiographic union, following operative treatment of a pediatric supracondylar humerus fracture between June 2008 and August 2010. They analyzed various factors in preoperative radiographs, including fracture appearance, coronal plane displacement and rotation. They used postoperative complications, the need for physical or occupational therapy, the need for postoperative IV narcotics and preoperative nerve injury as the primary outcome measures.
The results of this study showed that rotation and coronal displacement patterns were significantly associated with postoperative complications and postoperative need for physical or occupational therapy as a result of residual stiffness and nerve injury. Posterolaterally displaced fractures had significantly greater odds of complications, a need for physical or occupational therapy, and nerve injury vs. posteriorly displaced fractures, the investigators noted.
They identified a significantly greater odds of complications, need for physical or occupational therapy and nerve injury for fractures with rotation vs. fractures without rotation. – by Casey Tingle
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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