Fractures of the Forearm in Children

Open operation should not be performed on fractures of the forearm in children. Good alignment can be obtained by closed reduction, accepting poor apposition if necessary and allowing growth to compensate. In open fractures good surgical principles should be used in the treatment of the wounds and the fracture should be reduced without internal fixation. Roentgenograms should be made ten to fourteen days after reduction since even the simplest fracture can slip. The radial head should not be removed in children. The intact cortex of a greenstick fracture should be broken to avoid recurrence of the deformity. Simple wedging of the cast can restore satisfactory alignment to a fracture that has slipped, thus saving many remanipulations under general anesthesia. Both the joint above and the joint below a fracture should be immobilized.