Supracondylar humerus fractures in children : a comparison of experiences

The most common elbow lesions found in pediatric practice are supracondylar fractures. We compared two groups of 34 patients each with a supracondylar humerus fracture grade III (Gartland classification). The first group was treated with percutaneous pinning with Kirschner wires, with patients in a supine position, sometimes preceded by transkeletal traction. The second group was treated with percutaneous pinning with Kirschner wires, with patients in a prone position, within 6 h of the trauma. No statistically significant differences with regard to clinical outcomes and neurovascular complications were revealed in the comparison. Therefore, we can state that both treatment techniques used are valid.