Does the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist Need Modification for Orthopaedic Surgery Practices? A Cross-Sectional Survey Among Indian Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Background: It is well known that the implementation of the WHO surgical safety checklist (SSC) leads to improved operating room team coordination and reduced perioperative complication and mortality rates. Although it is proven to be beneficial worldwide, its awareness and usage need to be evaluated in a diverse country like India. As orthopaedic surgeries involve implants and tourniquet usage, it is important to evaluate the applicability of WHO SSC specifically to orthopaedic surgeries, and whether any modifications are needed. Materials and Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among Indian Orthopaedic Surgeons with a pre-defined questionnaire regarding awareness, usage and suggestions to modify the existing WHO SSC (2009) for orthopaedic surgeries. Results: 513 responses were included for final analysis. 90.3% of surgeons were aware of the surgical safety checklist; however, only 55.8% used it routinely in their practice. The awareness of SSC availability was 1.85 times more among younger surgeons (< 20 years of experience) than among those with > 20 years of experience. 17% of surgeons thought the usage of SSC was time-consuming and 52.4% of participants felt a need to modify the existing WHO SSC (2009) for orthopaedic surgeries. 34.5% recommended the inclusion of the patient blood group in the "Sign-in" section, 62.77% proposed the inclusion of details about the tourniquet, whereas only 6.63% suggested adding about surgical implant readiness in the "Time-out" section and 72.7% suggested including a check to make sure the tourniquet was deflated, removed and also recording of the total usage time during the "Sign-out" section. Conclusion: Despite high (90%) awareness among Indian Orthopaedic surgeons, they have limited usage of the WHO SSC in their practice. Identifying barriers and considering modifications for orthopaedic surgeries, like details about tourniquet usage during the "Time-out" section and a check to ensure it was removed during the "Sign-out" section, will improve patient safety and outcomes. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43465-024-01096-5.

Paediatric bilateral 'floating elbow'.

A child sustained an ipsilateral supracondylar humerus (SCH) and distal both-bone forearm fractures bilaterally, in addition to facial injuries, following a fall from height. He was managed surgically by closed reduction and pinning for both SCH and distal end radius fractures bilaterally. At the final follow-up, all the fractures had united uneventfully, and he had no functional limitations or cosmetic concerns. We conclude that a floating elbow in the paediatric population is an uncommon injury, and the bilateral scenario is even rarer. One should be vigilant for compartment syndrome; early surgical fixation may give better results.

Quadriceps tendon autograft is promising with lower graft rupture rates and better functional Lysholm scores than hamstring tendon autograft in pediatric ACL reconstruction. A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Graft rupture is the most prevalent complication following pediatric anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). The hamstring tendon (HT) autograft is frequently employed, while the quadriceps tendon (QT) autograft has garnered increased attention recently. This study aims to perform a systematic review to assess the complication rates and functional outcomes associated with these two widely used autografts in skeletally immature patients - comparing HT versus QT autografts. Research question: Is QT autograft better than HT autograft for ACLR in skeletally immature cohorts? Methodology: Three electronic databases (PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Ovid) were comprehensively searched to identify pertinent articles reporting the outcomes of HT and QT autografts in pediatric ACLR with a minimum 2-year follow-up. Data on the outcome parameters, such as graft rupture rates, contralateral ACL injury rates, functional outcomes, and growth disturbances rates, were extracted. Meta-analysis was performed using OpenMeta Analyst software. Results: Twelve studies were included for meta-analysis (pooled analysis) with 659 patients (QT: 205; HT: 454). The analysis showed that QT autografts had a significantly lesser graft rupture rate than HT autografts (3.5 % [95 % CI 0.2, 6.8] and 12.4 % [95 % CI 6.1, 18.7] respectively, p < 0.001). The graft rupture rates between QT with bone and without bone block showed no statistically significant difference (4.6 % [95 % CI 0.8, 1.0] and 3.5 % [95 % CI 2.0, 8.9] respectively, p = 0.181). The overall contralateral ACL injury rate was 10.2 %, and the subgroup analysis revealed no statistically significant difference between the QT and HT groups (p = 0.7). Regarding functional outcome scores at the final follow-up, the mean Lysholm score demonstrated a significant increase in the QT group compared to the HT group (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences between the two groups concerning growth disturbances at the final follow-up. Return to sports (RTS) varied between 6 and 13.5 months after surgery. Conclusion: QT autografts demonstrate encouraging outcomes, showcasing lower graft rupture rates, better functional outcomes, and comparable contralateral ACL injury rates and growth disturbances relative to the commonly used HT autograft in skeletally immature patients undergoing ACLR.

Medial versus anterior approach for open reduction of hip in children with DDH under two years - A meta-analysis of comparative studies.

Purpose: Open reduction (OR) is usually required in developmental dysplasia of hip (DDH) for children below 24 months of age, those who failed to achieve a satisfactory reduction by the closed method. OR in this age group can be performed either through a medial or anterior approach. However, there is a paucity of literature and a lack of more substantial evidence regarding which approach (medial versus anterior) is superior for performing OR in this age group with minimal complications. Methods: Four databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library) were searched for relevant articles reporting outcomes and complication rates of DDH children less than 24 months undergone OR either through medial or anterior approach using pre-defined keywords. Data on avascular necrosis (AVN) rates, further corrective surgery (FCS) rates, and clinical and radiological grading using McKay clinical criteria and Severin radiological criteria were assessed. Meta-analysis was carried out using RevMan (Review Manager 5.4) software. Results: Five comparative studies, having a minimum of two-year follow-up, were included for final analysis. According to the MINORS tool assessment, all five studies were of good to high quality. Of 257 hips, 151 and 106 underwent OR through medial and anterior approaches, respectively. Our meta-analysis showed a statistically significant (p = 0.01) number of AVN cases with the anterior approach compared to the medial approach. The overall random effect showed the odds of having AVN with an anterior approach to be 2.27 (95% CI: 1.18,4.38) times more than the same with a medial approach. Regarding FCS rates, the meta-analysis depicted no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.63). The two groups had no statistically significant difference regarding clinical and radiological outcomes using McKay and Severin criteria, respectively. Following surgery, improvement in the acetabular index from pre-operative value showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.48). Conclusions: Medial approach is safe and effective for OR of the hip in DDH up to 24 months of age. Our analysis showed that AVN rates are lower with a medial approach than the anterior approach, with similar clinical and radiological outcomes and rates of FCS. However, one should consider the surgeon's expertise while choosing between these approaches.

Forgotten Foreign Bodies Mimicking Osteomyelitis, a Diagnostic Dilemma - A Report of Two Cases.

Introduction: The first differential diagnosis for a chronic discharging sinus on an extremity is usually chronic osteomyelitis. These patients are usually treated with surgical debridement and intravenous antibiotics. However, all discharging sinuses are not osteomyelitis. Case Report: We encountered two such cases, initially treated as osteomyelitis, which did not respond to initial surgical debridement and, on further workup, were found to have foreign bodies in situ that mimicked osteomyelitis. The first case is a 1 ½-year-old child with an intact rubber band inside the wrist, presenting with sinuses on the wrist, and the second one is a 12-year-old with an old penetrating injury to the foot through the sole of a rubber slipper. Both patients recovered completely once the foreign bodies were removed. Conclusion: We stress the importance of keeping the possibility of a foreign body in mind in patients with discharging sinuses not responding adequately to debridement and antibiotics.

Subtrochanteric Pathological Femur Fracture in an HIV-Positive Patient on Tenofovir-based antiretroviral therapy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Introduction: The population of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS has increased and so is the incidence of fragility fractures in these patients. Multiple contributory factors are responsible for osteomalacia or osteoporosis in such patients such as a chronic inflammatory response to the HIV, highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) itself, and associated comorbidities. Tenofovir has also been reported to disrupt bone metabolism and causes fragility fractures. Case Report: A 40-year-old HIV-positive female came to us with pain in her left hip and was unable to bear weight. She had a history of trivial fall. The patient has been taking tenofovir-associated HAART regimen for the past 6 years and has been compliant. She was diagnosed with a left-side transverse subtrochanteric closed femur fracture. Closed reduction and internal fixation was done using a proximal femur intramedullary nail (PFNA). The latest follow-up shows fracture union and good functional outcomes after treating osteomalacia, and HAART changed to a non-tenofovir regimen later. Conclusion: Patients with HIV infection are prone to fragility fractures and periodic monitoring of their BMD, serum calcium, and vitamin D3 levels should be done for prevention and early diagnosis. More vigilance in patients receiving a tenofovir-associated HAART regimen is needed. Appropriate medical treatment needs to be started once any abnormality in the bone metabolic parameters is detected, and drugs like tenofovir need to be changed as it causes osteomalacia.

Polymicrobial infection presenting as non-clostridial gas gangrene in a non-diabetic trauma patient. A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Clostridium species are known to be the primary causative organism of gas gangrene. Non-clostridial gas gangrene (NCGG) is another rare necrotizing entity often associated with an underlying disease, particularly diabetes mellitus, and has a high mortality rate. CASE REPORT: A 16-year-old, immunocompetent male was referred to us after four days, following a roadside accident, with a degloving injury over the thigh and knee along with fractures around the knee. Although clinico-radiologically suspicious of gas gangrene, the initial smear report was negative for any Gram-positive bacilli. On the same day, he underwent aggressive debridement with an external fixator spanning the knee to salvage the limb. On post-operative day one, due to deteriorating general clinical condition and a strong clinical suspicion of gas gangrene, he underwent above-knee amputation (open stump) after discussion with microbiologists and physicians. RESULTS: Polymicrobial non-clostridial infection was seen in culture reports taken serially at different stages of management. The latest follow-up showed a healed amputation stump following split skin grafting. CONCLUSION: Although rare, polymicrobial infections can present as non-clostridial gas gangrene even in an immunocompetent patient. A high index of clinical suspicion with a multi-disciplinary approach helps in early decision-making to avoid a devastating outcome.

Risk Prediction of Injury Among Recreational Badminton Players in India.

Background/Purpose: Since badminton has emerged as a frequently played non-contact recreational sport in India, it is essential to document the injury patterns and incidence. However, there is no existing literature on this topic among Indian players. Materials and Methods: A web-based questionnaire was circulated among recreational badminton players across North India, enquiring about demographic details, injury characteristics, and factors associated with an injury like BMI, warm-up practice, and physical training. Results: Data of 237 eligible participants revealed an injury incidence rate of 57.1%. The ankle and dominant-side shoulder were the most common anatomical regions affected. The most common injury types were ligament sprain and muscle/tendon strain. Factors like age, frequency, duration of play, type of footwear, BMI, prior warm-up, court surface, and physical training were significantly associated with injury incidence on univariate logistic regression analysis. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, we found male gender, a lack of prior warm-up, inadequate physical training, and age group between 26 and 30 years to be four independent risk factors for injury. Conclusion: The recreational badminton player of India had a relatively higher incidence of injury compared with the limited published data from other countries. Modifiable factors like a proper warm-up before the game, regular physical fitness training, and injury awareness programs can reduce the injury rates. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43465-022-00663-y.

Techniques, anaesthesia preferences, and outcomes of Achilles tenotomy during Ponseti method of idiopathic clubfoot correction: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Achilles tenotomy (AT) forms an important aspect of Ponseti's casting method and is performed in 80-90% of idiopathic clubfoot cases to correct residual hindfoot equinus. Different techniques are described in the literature with no clarity on which method is superior. This review aims to analyse the various techniques described, anaesthesia preferences, and outcomes of AT. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Ovid MEDLINE for articles describing idiopathic clubfoot cases undergoing primary AT during Ponseti's casting method. Data were extracted from eligible studies for qualitative and quantitative synthesis. The repeat tenotomy and complication rates were taken as outcome parameters. RESULTS: Nineteen studies were included for systematic review. A percutaneous AT using a scalpel or needle is adequate in most cases and shows promising results. The out-patient department (OPD) tenotomies under local anaesthesia (LA) and operation room (OR) tenotomies under general anaesthesia (GA) were associated with a repeat tenotomy (RT) rate of 2.5% (95%CI, 0.4-5.4%) and 0.8% (95%CI, 0-1.6%), respectively. The difference between OPD and OR groups was not statistically significant (p = 0.875). The pooled analysis shows a failure/relapse rate of 4.2% (1.9-6.4%, p < 0.001) after AT. OPD and OR tenotomies were associated with a complication rate of 1.6% (95%CI, 0.2-3.0%) and 0.5% (95%CI, 0.1-0.8%), respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.807). Bleeding is the most common complication and is controlled in most cases by applying local pressure. CONCLUSION: Performing Achilles tenotomy in OPD under LA is safe and cost-effective with similar success rates to those done under GA. With the lack of many comparative and higher-level evidence studies at present, we can't conclude if one technique is better than another.

Correction results of atypical clubfeet managed with modified Ponseti technique: A meta-analysis of 354 feet.

Background/purpose: Atypical clubfeet are distinct from idiopathic clubfeet. It is resistant to correction by conventional casting methods and often requires a modification of Ponseti's casting technique. Although the initial correction rates are reasonable, relapse and complications are frequent. There is limited literature on the results of modified Ponseti casting of these feet. We conducted this meta-analysis to study a few important aspects of atypical/complex clubfeet treatment by the modified Ponseti technique. Research question: What are the results of atypical or complex clubfeet after treatment by the modified Ponseti technique? Methodology: Five electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Ovid, and Cochrane Library) were searched for articles reporting on the results of atypical/complex clubfeet treated by the modified Ponseti technique. Details of the number of casts required for correction, rate of percutaneous Achilles tenotomy (PAT), other soft tissue procedures required, complications, and relapse rates were extracted into spreadsheets, and meta-analysis was carried out using OpenMeta Analyst software. Results: Ten studies were included for analysis with a total of 240 patients with 354 clubfeet. The initial correction was achieved in all feet. A pooled analysis of the data showed that a mean of six casts was required for the initial correction. The rate of PAT was 98.3%. The overall complication rate was 16.8%. 7.2% required an additional soft tissue procedure apart from the PAT, and relapse of the deformity was observed in a mean of 19.8% cases. Conclusion: Modified Ponseti technique is effective in the initial management of atypical/complex clubfeet. Although the PAT rate is slightly higher in the Modified Ponseti technique, the remaining result parameters are comparable with the results of idiopathic clubfoot managed with the Ponseti method of casting. However, these children should be kept under follow-up for a longer duration to find the exact relapse rates.

A Novel, Low-Cost Telescopic Nail Design for Prevention and Treatment of Osteogenesis Imperfecta Associated Long-Bone Pathological Fractures in Children.

Telescopic nailing and intermittent doses of bisphosphonates are now considered the standard treatment for preventing long bone pathological fractures in osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) children. Even though the telescopic nail designs have evolved over time, we are yet to get an affordable, worldwide uniformly and easily available, surgeon-friendly telescopic nail with good rotational stability. We designed a telescopic nail with modifications in Küntscher nail (outer, hollow component) and square nail (inner, solid component). The distal end of the square nail has a slot to allow locking in the distal epiphysis using a threaded K wire. The interlocking geometry between the two nails allows reasonable rotational control while allowing only longitudinal movements. This novel, low-cost, rotationally stable telescopic nail design is a good alternative to existing telescopic nails in the market, especially for children from low and middle-income countries (LMIC) where affordability and uniform availability are a concern.

Paediatric Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries: Current Concepts Review.

Background: Over the past two decades, there has been a documented increase in paediatric ACL injuries because of a rise in younger age sports participation at the competitive level, awareness about sports-related injuries, and advanced imaging modalities. Methods: A PubMed electronic database search was done, which revealed 1366 hits over the last five years (2016 - 2020). Finally, 37 articles that contributed to new findings were included. This review was conducted based on predefined research questions. Results and conclusion: Early surgical reconstruction is recommended in children due to the increasing demand for early return to sports and to prevent the instability that can lead to progressive cartilage and meniscal damage. With the evolution of several "physeal sparing" ACL reconstruction (ACLR) techniques, a favorable clinical outcome with less growth disturbance is achievable. Although different autograft options are available, hamstring autografts are most commonly preferred. A specific pattern of a bone bruise not extending into the metaphysis, and lateral meniscus tears are the most common associated injuries. Following paediatric ACLR, complications like graft rupture and contralateral ACL injuries are two to three folds higher than with adult ACLR. Unprepared early return to sports is one of the reasons for increased complication rates in children; thus, clearance criteria for return to sports need to be standardized, and early return to sports (< 9 months post ACLR) should be avoided. Neuromuscular training protocols are recommended to minimize complications like graft ruptures.

Is modified reverse step-cut osteotomy better than Yun's reverse V osteotomy in paediatric cubitus varus deformity correction? A prospective, double-blinded, randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Various corrective osteotomy techniques have been described in the literature for correcting paediatric cubitus varus. But we are still in search of the perfect technique that gives maximum possible deformity correction and cosmetic appearance that satisfies parents with minimal complications. We compared the outcomes of two technically sound osteotomy techniques having minimal postoperative lateral condyle prominence described in the literature. RESEARCH QUESTION: Is modified reverse step-cut osteotomy (MRSO) better in terms of clinical, radiological, and cosmetic outcomes than Yun's reverse V osteotomy (RVO) in pediatric cubitus varus deformity correction? METHODS: In total, 20 children with unilateral cubitus varus resulting from malunited supracondylar humerus fractures were included. Randomization was done by computer-generated random slips. A total of ten cases each were operated by MRSO and RVO techniques, respectively. Clinical, radiological, and cosmetic appearance assessments were done at the final two year follow-up and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The mean age of children in the MRSO and RVO groups is 9.9 years (3-16) and 8.6 years (3-16), respectively. The mean pre-operative carrying angle in the deformed elbow of MRSO and RVO group was - 20.5° and - 19.5°, respectively, and the mean pos-toperative carrying angle in the corrected elbow of MRSO and RVO group was + 6.8° and + 6.5°, respectively. Regarding the lateral prominence index (LPI), a positive correlation was noted between pre-operative and post-operative periods with a value of 0.855 and 0.844 (p value: 0.001 and 0.03, respectively) in both MRSO and RVO groups, respectively. However, the change was statistically not significant when compared between the two groups (p = 0.63). There was no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) when the clinical, radiological, and cosmetic outcomes were compared between the groups at final follow-up. CONCLUSION: The surgeon can choose either one of these techniques based on their expertise since the results of both the techniques are comparable in terms of clinical, radiological, and cosmetic outcomes.

Characteristics of Musculoskeletal Involvement in Pediatric Patients with Disseminated Sepsis in a Tertiary Care Center.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric bone and joint infections account for one of the major causes of childhood morbidity. Disseminated sepsis being a systemic disorder with multisystem involvement, overshadows the timely recognition of bone and joint infections. Hence, we did this cross sectional study to evaluate the prevalence of septic arthritis and osteomyelitis in disseminated sepsis in children, the organisms implicated, and their antibiotic sensitivities. METHODS: We prospectively collected data from 1st July 2016 to 31st September 2017 of children aged less than 12 years with disseminated sepsis, i.e., patients with fever and two or more sites of focal infection of anatomically non-contiguous tissues. RESULTS: Fifty-four patients of disseminated disease were included, of which 25 patients (46.3%) had osteoarticular infections. Septic arthritis was seen in 17 patients, and osteomyelitis was seen in 12 patients. The most common joint was hip (41.6%), and the most common bone involved was femur (53.8%). Blood culture showed MRSA in 28% and MSSA in 20%. Joint and bone aspirates showed S. aureus in 56% with 28% of MRSA and MSSA each. All Staphylococcus aureus organisms were found sensitive to vancomycin and teicoplanin. The mean values of CRP, duration of stay and duration of intravenous antibiotic was higher in MRSA infected patients compared to MSSA patients. CONCLUSIONS: Staphylococcus aureus is the most prevalent organism in musculoskeletal infection in disseminated sepsis children, with vancomycin sensitivity of 100% and methicillin sensitivity of 46.2% only. Cases of osteoarticular involvement with MRSA were higher compared to MSSA among the cases of disseminated disease. The prevalence of osteoarticular involvement is high in disseminated sepsis in children and increased clinical suspicion for such must be maintained.

Efficacy of antifibrinolytics in reducing blood loss during hip reconstruction surgery in cerebral palsy children. A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral palsy (CP) children undergoing hip reconstruction are more prone to blood loss during surgery due to poor nutritional status, antiepileptic medication intake, depletion of clotting factors, and the extent of surgery involved. We conducted this present review to analyze whether antifibrinolytics during hip surgery in CP children would reduce surgical blood loss and transfusion requirements. METHODS: Three databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane library) were searched independently for publications mentioning the use of antifibrinolytics during hip reconstruction surgery in CP children. The primary outcome was to compare the surgical blood loss with and without antifibrinolytics use. Secondary outcomes were transfusion requirements, drop in hemoglobin level, length of hospital stay, and complication rates. RESULTS: All five studies (reporting 478 patients) published on this topic were found eligible based on inclusion criteria and were included for final analysis. Primary outcome: In three of the included studies, antifibrinolytics use resulted in a significant reduction in total blood loss with a mean difference (MD) of -151.05 mL (95% CI -272.30 to -29.80, p = 0.01). In the other two studies although statistically not significant, antifibrinolytics use reduces estimated blood loss (MD: 3.27, 95% CI -21.44 to 14.91, p = 0.72). Secondary outcomes: We observed that in the antifibrinolytics group, there was a reduction in total blood transfusion requirements (OD: 0.70, 95% CI 0.35 to 1.37, p = 0.29), and a drop in haemoglobin level (MD: 0.16, 95% CI -0.62 to 0.30, p = 0.49) but statistically not significant. No adverse effects related directly to antifibrinolytics were noticed in all five studies. CONCLUSION: Only two out of five included studies favored the use of antifibrinolytics in CP children undergoing hip reconstruction. The evidence synthesized on this meta-analysis is also not sufficient enough to support its routine use in this cohort of children for hip reconstruction surgery. High-quality studies with adequate sample size to determine the effective and safe dosage, timing, and cost involved of different antifibrinolytics are the need of the hour. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Ⅲ.

Comparing Three Modalities of Treatment for Frozen Shoulder: A Prospective, Double-Blinded, Randomized Control Trial.

PURPOSE: To compare the effects of three modalities of pain management i.e. SSNB (suprascapular nerve block) with NIR (non invasive rehabilitation), IAI (intra articular injection) with NIR and, NIR alone in idiopathic frozen shoulder patients. METHODS: A double blinded randomized clinical trial was conducted. 60 cases of idiopathic frozen shoulder were selected and randomly divided into three treatment groups; group 1: NIR, group 2: NIR + SSNB, group 3: NIR +IAI. Range of motion, pain score and disability (SPADI: shoulder pain and disability index) score were evaluated pre-treatment and at 12 weeks follow up. RESULTS: All three groups were homogenous and comparable regarding their age, sex ratio, pretreatment pain score, disability score and range of motion. There was significant improvement (p < 0.05) post treatment in all three groups with respect to pain score, disability score and range of motion. SSNB with NIR group patients demonstrated better improvement in all parameters examined, which was statistically significant in pain score, disability score and internal rotation but was statistically equivalent for total range of motion and external rotation as compared to shoulder injection group. CONCLUSION: SSNB in combination with non invasive rehabilitation is an effective and safe mode of treatment for idiopathic frozen shoulder. Present study also proves that SSNB with NIR is a more effective mode of treatment for idiopathic frozen shoulder as compared to NIR alone or in combination with IAI.Level of evidence: Level 1.

FAST- Fixator Assisted Submuscular plating Technique-A simplified technique of submuscular plating in paediatric femur fractures.

The surgical management of paediatric femur fractures has evolved over the last few decades. Intramedullary stabilization with titanium elastic nail (TENS) is the preferred surgical management for length stable and mid diaphyseal femur fractures in children between 5-11 years of age. However, TENS is not preferred in length unstable fractures and in proximal or distal metaphyseal femur fractures due to higher incidence of angulation and shortening at fracture site. In such scenarios, submuscular plating has come up as an alternative surgical treatment modality which avoids these complications and provide good functional outcome. Many authors have suggested different surgical variations in techniques of submuscular plating for paediatric femur fracture. We have devised a technique of submuscular plating with help of external fixator (FAST) in paediatric femur fractures which minimises the surgical time and simplifies the procedure.