Authors
Abstract
Background: Treatment of femoral shaft fracture in children depends on age and condition of patient, and may consist of spica casting, traction followed by casting, external fixator, plate fixation and intramedullary nailing. Leg length discrepancy is a common complication after this fracture. Growth stimulation following this fracture has been known for years but precise cause remains unknown. This is a report on leg length discrepancy obsereved in a group of younger children who had been treated with casing, and an older group who received plate fixation for their femoral shaft fractures.Methods: In a cross sectional study, 233 children under 12 years with femoral shaft fracture who had been treated between years 1993 and 1997 in two hospitals in Ahvaz-Iran, were studied. Patients were studied in two groups of surgery or plate fixation (125 patients) and non-surgery or casting (108 patients). With a mean follow of 49 months (22-82 months) clinical and radiographic evaluation of leg lengths was performed, and possible factors responsible for discrepancy were assessed.Results: The mean leg length discrepancy in plate fixation was 6.6 mm, and with casting was 1.93 mm. Gender or side of fracture had no significant relationship with post treatment leg length discrepancyConclusion: Leg length discrepancy is more likely to be observed in childrens' femoral fractures treated with plate fixation. The discrepancy, however, is not a significant amount.
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