A Climical Study of Unequal Leg Length following Femoral Shaft Fracture in Children / 대한정형외과학회잡지

ABSTRACT

The managements of fractures of shaft of the femur in children differ in manyways from those in adults. The union occurs rapidly and the remodelling of bone assists in realignment as the child grows. However, the greatest difference observed in the two groups is that in children the growing bone tends to respond to fracture and other influences with growth acceleration. Among the many kinds of methods in the treatment of femoral shaft fractures in children, we have used the method of skeletal traction with Charnleys balanced traction unit due to 1) Fixed traction that introduces the length remaining constant, 2) Weight traction, the tension remaining constant, 3) Eaay control of alignment, that is controlled by the splint not by the traction force, especially in correcting the deformity of retroflexion angulation. Twenty-two cases of fracture of the femoral shaft in children treated with skeletal traction in that method at Korea General Hospital during 4 years, were analyzed. The purpose of this study was, through a series of follow up examination, to elucidate to what extent fracture of the femoral shaft in children gives us increased longitudinal growth of the fractured bone as compared with the healthy limb. The result revealed that in about 72.7% of children with fracture of the frmoral shaft, the leg length discrepancy was within the range of 0+1 cm. The period of accelerated growth was between 6 months and g months after the fracture. Corrected angle at fracture site was noted 3.2 from 10.7 that had been measured as good callus formation.