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Observational analysis shows successful fracture healing in children with femur fractures, indicating locking compression plating is effective.
There are several methods of internal fixation for fracture shaft femur in children. But results of locking compression plating for fracture shaft femur in children is encouraging. We used 3.5 or 4.5mm locking plate construct in 21 skeletally immature patients for fracture shaft femur. There were 17 boys and 4 girls. Most of the patients were between 8 to 13 years. Two fractures were open. All fracture healed in an average time of 12 weeks. The follow up period ranged from 6 to 24 months. Implant failure in form of bending and breakage occurred in 1 patient, but without any clinical consequence. 2 patients healed with about 10 degree of varus angulation. There was an average femoral lenghthening of 6mm in 4 patients out of 21 patients. All patients returned to their pre fracture level of activity. Locking compression plating appears as a reliable method of treatment for fracture femur in children.
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Pal et al. (2014) studied this question.
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