Causes of femoral shaft fracture in children under five years of age.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To study the causes of femoral shaft fracture in children younger than 5 years of age. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective, descriptive study. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Medical records and radiographs of 39 children younger than 5 years of age with femoral shaft fractures treated in Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health during the years 1996-2001 were reviewed. The responsible causes for the femoral shaft fracture given by caretakers by interview were collected. RESULTS: The most common history was falling or jumping from a height (36%) followed by traffic accidents (26%) and object or person falling on top of them (23%) respectively. Only one case presented with a history of abuse. Nine cases were suspected of abuse, but, without further investigations it was not possible to identify the exact cause of fracture. CONCLUSION: Histories given by caretakers for the cause of femoral shaft fracture in children younger than 5 years of age are varied. The orthopedists should find out the exact cause of fracture to prevent missed or delayed diagnosis of abuse that may have occurred.