Research progress in complications following elastic intramedullary nail treatment for long bone fracture of extremities in children / 中华创伤杂志

ABSTRACT

The elastic stable intramedullary nailing ( ESIN ) technique is widely accepted by pediatric orthopedic surgeons for the following advantages being minimally invasive, non-destructive on epiphyseal function, easy, rapid postoperative recovery, allowing early functional exercise and having low complication rate. It has become the mainstream technique for the treatment of long bone fractures in children. Although the concept of minimally invasive surgery for children with long bone fractures is constantly evolving and the surgical technique is becoming more and more mature, there are still some complications after ESIN operation, such as tendon and iatrogenic nerve injury, soft tissue irritation and infection, poor alignment after fracture or re-shift, delayed union and non-union, leg-length discrepancy, rotation and angular deformity, osteofascial compartment syndrome, and other clinical problems. These complications often occur due to the negligence of important biological principles, obvious technical errors and the negligence of the characteristics of local anatomy. The authors review the problems of ESIN technique in the treatment of humeral fractures, radius and ulna fractures, femoral fractures and tibial fractures of children, seeking to avoid the complications as much as possible and giving full play to the minimally invasive advantages of ESIN.