Surgical Treatment of Foot Fractures in Children

Introduction. The human foot is a complex structure consisting of 28 bones and 33 joints, which is responsible for transferring axial load from the entire body. According to the international classification, the foot is divided into several main parts: anterior (5 metatarsal bones and corresponding phalanges), middle (navicular, cuboid bones and three: medial, middle and lateral sphenoid bones) and posterior (talus and calcaneus). Fractures of the foot bones in children account for 10 % of all fractures and require special attention due to the risk of long-term consequences. The purpose of this work is to share the experience of treatment, methods and results of using various methods of osteosynthesis in the treatment of foot fractures in children. Materials and methods. In our clinic, 57 children aged 4 to 18 years were treated during 2024. In 12 cases, conservative treatment was used, the rest (45 patients) required surgical intervention due to the unstable position of bone fragments. Results and discussion. Fractures of the bones of the forefoot prevailed by localization, and isolated cases of fractures of the bones of the middle and posterior parts of the foot were noted. Surgical treatment was indicated for fractures of the phalanges of the toes (n = 30), metatarsal bones (n = 12), navicular bone (n = 1), talus bone (n = 2). Kirschner wire osteosynthesis was most often used. There were no postoperative complications. The recovery period has been tracked. Conclusions. Fractures of the foot bones in children are a relatively rare pathology, but underestimation and inadequate treatment tactics can lead to long-term negative consequences in the form of post-traumatic deformities of the foot. The presented methods of osteosynthesis in the surgical treatment of foot fractures in children have high anatomical and functional effectiveness, shorten the recovery period.