OBJECTIVETo compare clinical outcomes of elastic intramedullary nail fixation and external fixator for the treatment of pediatric femoral shaft fractures.

METHODSFrom Sep. 2002 to Aug. 2008, 67 pediatric patients with femoral shaft fractures were treated. Among them, 36 pediatric patients with femoral shaft fractures were treated with closed reduction and elastic intramedullary nail fixation including 23 males and 13 females with an average age of (7.1 +/- 1.6) years ranging from 5 to 11 years; while 31 patients were treated with closed reduction and external fixation including 19 males and 12 females with an average age of (6.5 +/- 2.3) years ranging from 3 to 12 years. All patients obtained closed reduction. The fracture healing time and postoperative complications were compared between these two groups.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up for 9 to 24 months, in averaged (12 +/- 3) months. The time of fracture healing and bone union in elasitic intramedullary nail group was shorter than that of external fixation group (P<0.05). There were 5 cases of infection,3 of delayed healing, 2 of refracture, and 1 of fixation failure in external fixation group, and there were 3 of soft tissue irritation in elastic intramedullary nail group.

CONCLUSIONElastic intramedullary nail has some advantages for the treatment of pediatric femoral shaft fracture, while external fixation has some advantage in patients with multiple injury and open injury. The proximal and distal femoral fractures are not suitable for elastic intramedullary nail fixation.