Journal of children's orthopaedics
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Acute compartment syndrome often requires additional surgery to achieve wound closure. Little information exists regarding the expected number of surgeries, techniques and complications after closure in paediatric patients. ⋯ IV.
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Clavicle fracture nonunions are extremely rare in children. The aim of this systematic review was to assess what factors may predispose children to form clavicle fracture nonunions and evaluate the treatment methods and outcomes. ⋯ IV.
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Fractures of the lateral condyle of the humerus in children are a common injury. If displaced or unstable they may require surgical reduction and fixation with Kirschner wires (K-wires). K-wires are placed using either an open or closed technique. The decision to bury or leave the ends extending through the skin is surgeon-dependent and based on factors including post-operative infection risk, bony union and ease of wire removal. ⋯ Non-buried K-wires for lateral condyle elbow fractures convey a lower risk of adverse events and may be more cost-effective compared with buried K-wires. Non-buried K-wires do not appear to increase the risk of infection or failure of bony union. These findings are limited by a high risk of bias due to inherent methodological flaws in the design of included studies.
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Open fractures are considered an orthopaedic emergency and are generally an indication for operative debridement. Recent studies have questioned this approach for the management of Gustilo-Anderson Type I open fractures in the paediatric population. This meta-analysis studies the non-operative management of Type I open paediatric forearm fractures. ⋯ The five included studies had a total of 127 patients with no cases of infection after non-operative management of Type I open paediatric forearm fractures. The infection rate of Type I fractures among operatively managed patients is 1.9%. The trend in literature towards non-operative treatment of paediatric Type I open fractures holds true in this meta-analysis.
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Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a condition characterised by bone fragility and multiple fractures, which cause considerable morbidity in the affected patients. Most cases are associated with mutations in one of the type I collagen genes. Recently, bisphosponates have been used widely to reduce pain and the incidence of fragility fractures in OI in children, even though there have been concerns raised regarding the long-term complications of it due to their effect on the bone. The fragility fractures involving the neck of the femur in children with intramedullary rods in the femoral shaft are very difficult to treat. Although these fractures are frequently un-displaced, they require optimal internal fixation to achieve fracture union. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical and radiological outcomes of OI patients with intracapsular femoral neck fracture treated with headless compression screws. ⋯ It is very challenging and technically demanding for orthopaedic surgeons when treating the fragility fracture of the neck of femur in patients with intramedullary rod in the femoral shaft. The published data regarding the management of these complex conditions are very limited. We describe our experience with the technique of percutaneous headless compression screw fixation for treating the femoral neck fractures in OI patients.