• Di Lu, Jie Yang, Jing-Dong Zhang, Hua Chen, and Liao-Jun Sun.
• Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
• Injury. 2017 Feb 1; 48 (2): 548-551.

BackgroundThe objective of this study was to compare the outcomes of pediatric femoral shaft fractures treated with titanium elastic nail (TEN) by pediatric orthopedists and non-pediatric orthopedists.MethodsFrom May 2006 to June 2014, 88 children with femoral shaft fractures were randomized to operative stabilization either by pediatric orthopedists (Group A, 44 cases) or by non-pediatric orthopedists (Group B, 44 cases). Demographic data and clinical characteristics (age, sex, weight, fracture side and type, cause of injury, associated injuries and interval from injury to surgery) were comparable between the two groups before surgery. Peri-operative data, clinical and functional outcomes between the two groups were recorded.ResultsThe mean follow-up period was 20.9±4.5months for Group A and 20.0±3.6months for Group B (P=0.356). There was no significant difference in the time to union, length of hospitalization, full weight-bearing time and TEN scores between the two groups (P=0.785, P=0.835, P=0.803, P=0.940, respectively). However, the mean operating time and radiation time was longer in Group B than in Group A (P=0.001 and P=0.047, respectively). Also, there was a trend for patients of Group B to have a higher rate of open reduction (P=0.047). When comparing the total complications, no significant difference existed between the groups (P=0.978).ConclusionsThis study indicated that both pediatric and non-pediatric orthopedists provided satisfactory clinical and functional results in treating these common injuries.Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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