Operative treatment of irreducible type III supracondylar fracture of the humerus in children by open reduction and internal fixation

ABSTRACT

Fifty children who had sustained Gartland type III supracondylar fractures of the humerus failed to be satisfactory reduced closely. Once in 40 patients, twice in 8 and thrice in 2 were subjected to open reduction and internal fixation through the posterior bilaterotricipital approach. These patients were 37 boys and 13 girls with average age 6.5 years. The results were analysed by Flyn's supracondylar rating scale both functionally and cosmetically. The overall functional results were excellent in 25 [50%], good in 15 [30%], fair in 8 [16%] and poor in 2 [4%] patients and for the overall cosmetic results, excellent results were in 47 [94%] and good in 3 [6%], Forty-eight patients of this study had full extension range after surgery. The final results were found affected by the times of closed reduction as well as the time delay of operative intervention. We found open reduction and internal fixation for supracondylar fractures in children by bilaterotricipital approach is a safe and effective procedure with no cosmetic poor results and little functional restrictions