External fixation versus titanium endomedullary nail in the treatment of diaphyseal fractures of the lower limb in pediatric age: our experience

In the past, the use of external fixation technique (FE) in children was limited, as the patient's compliance to the treatment was scarce due to an important visual impact for the little patient. With the evolution of the surgical approach and the technology of fixators, we have been able to considerably implement the treatment possibilities, thus allowing for an immediate load bearing of the operated limb and for the early mobilization of the joints. The FE technique does not represent an overcoming of classical synthesis techniques by internal fixation with elastic intramedullary nails, but it simply offers a valid treatment alternative to selected cases. In this work, we radiologically and clinically evaluated pediatric patients treated with FE for diaphyseal fractures of the lower limb and we compared them with patients treated with standard Titanium Endomedullary Nail (TEN) techniques. Our results confirmed that FE is a valid alternative treatment for these types of fractures.