Supracondylar Fractures of the Humerus in Children: A Follow-Up With Particular Reference to Late Results After Severely Displaced Fractures

Abstract

A follow-up of 73 cases out of a 10-year material of 90 children with supracondylar fractures of the humerus is described. Forty-three children had fractures with gross displacement, whereas 30 children had undisplaced or slightly displaced fractures. This last group all achieved excellent results after simple conservative treatment. Twenty-three cases among the group with severe displacement were treated with vertical extension, 17 eases with one or more attempts at manipulative reduction and plaster fixation, and three with operation using Kirschner wires. The functional results were approximately the same in the first two groups and were satisfactory in 85–100 per cent. The results with varus derformity were better in the group treated by extension (82 per cent as opposed to 50 per cent in the group treated by manual reposition). We conclude that extension in a vertical direction is the most suitable method of treatment of these often severely displaced fractures.