Objective:To identify the risk factors for premature proximal femur physeal closure (PPC) in children treated surgically for femoral neck fractures.Methods:Data of 106 children with an open triradiate cartilage who were treated surgically for a femoral neck fracture were retrospectively analyzed. Age, gender, laterality, mechanism of injury, the type of fracture, initial displacement, time to reduction, fixation method, whether the implant crossed the physeal plate, reduction method, reduction quality and development of femoral head avascular necrosis (AVN) were collected. PPC of the proximal femur was assessed through postoperative 6-12 months radiographs.Results:A total of 106 patients with an open triradiate cartilage were followed up, with an average duration of 20.4±13.3 months (range, 6-86 months). The overall rate of PPC following paediatric femoral neck fractures treated surgically was 36.8% (39/106). Among the 39 patients with PPC, 25 were males and 14 were females; the average age at the time of injury was 9.7±3.6 years (range, 3-15 years); 23 patients were involved in left hips and 16 were in right; the mechanisms of injury included motor vehicle accident in 5 fractures, falling injury in 21, sports-related injury in 12 and other causes in 1 fracture; two hips were Delbet type I, and 26 hips and 11 hips were Delbet type II and III, separately; type II and III of initial displacement were involved in 26 and 13 patients, separately; the mean duration from injury to surgery was 3.3±2.8 d (range, 1-14 d); 2 hips were treated with Kirschner wires, 35 hips with screw fixation, and the remaining 2 hips underwent screw and plate fixation; 2 hips had the hardware crossing the proximal femoral growth plate, and the remaining 37 hips didn’t; 15 hips were treated by closed reduction and internal fixation, and the other 24 hips underwent open reduction and internal fixation; anatomical reduction was achieved in 14 patients, acceptable reduction in 24 hips and unacceptable reduction in 1 hip; 24 hips developed AVN at the latest follow-up and the remaining 15 hips didn’t. Statistical analysis indicated that age ( t=3.875, P< 0.001), the severity of initial displacement ( Z=-2.118, P=0.034) and the rate of AVN ( χ2=42.280, P< 0.001) in patients with PPC were significantly higher than those in patients without; Logistic regression analysis confirmed age ( OR=1.288, P=0.011) and AVN ( OR=40.336, P< 0.001) as risk factors for PPC. ROC curve analysis indicated 10 years was the cut off age to significantly increase the rate of PPC. The rate of PPC in patients aged over 10 years (63.6%, 21/33) was significantly higher than that (24.7%, 18/73) in those aged less than 10 years ( χ2=14.848, P< 0.001). Conclusion:Age over 10 years and AVN are risk factors for PPC in children with femoral neck fractures treated surgically.

Compared with the pediatric femoral neck fracture described by the Delbet-Colonna classification, femoral neck fracture with a comminuted posteromedial column is characterized by a more special fracture location. Therefore, it is more difficult to deal with, leading to higher incidences of avascular necrosis of femoral head, coxa vara deformity, and delayed union postoperatively. This paper reviews recent progress in diagnosis and treatment of this specific kind of fracture in the aspects of anatomy and function of the posteromedial column of the femoral neck, and special features, surgical treatment and complication avoidance concerning this fracture, hoping to arouse interest from pediatric surgeons in this specific fracture which has not been described by the Delbet-Colonna classification.

Objective:To investigate the biomechanical properties of a new pediatric femoral neck system in the fixation of pediatric femoral neck fractures with a free fracture fragment.Methods:Ten Sawbones model bones were randomly divided into 2 even groups ( n=5), all of which were made into Delbet Type Ⅱ femoral neck fractures with a Pauwels angle of 70°. A free bone block was removed from the bottom at the proximal end of the fracture to simulate a femoral neck fracture with a free fragment. Group A were fixed with traditional inverted triangle cannulated screws, and group B with a new pediatric femoral neck system. After the 2 groups of specimens were placed on a biomechanical testing machine, each specimen was subjected to a static axial compression test, an anti-torsion test and a cyclic load test in turn. The biomechanical results were compared between groups A and B in aspects of axial compression stiffness, torsional stiffness and maximum displacement difference. Results:The axial compression stiffness [(321.718±5.770) N/mm] and torsional rigidity [(1.448±0.079) N·m/°] in group B were significantly higher than those in group A [(266.722±4.788) N/mm and (1.282±0.023) N·m/°] ( P<0.05). The maximum displacement difference in the cyclic load test in group B [(0.063±0.038) mm] was also significantly smaller than that in group A [(0.117±0.056) mm] ( P<0.05). Conclusion:In fixation of pediatric femoral neck fractures with a free fracture fragment, the new pediatric femoral neck system can lead to better biomechanical stability than the traditional inverted triangle cannulated screws.

Objective:To compare the therapeutic effects of cannulated screws and Kirschner wires in the treatment of medial malleolar fractures of Salter-Harris types Ⅲ and Ⅳ in children.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the data of 48 and 16 children who had been treated respectively at Department of Pediatric Orthopaedics, Fuzhou Second General Hospital, and Department of Pediatric Orthopaedics, Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine for medial malleolar fractures of Salter-Harris types Ⅲ and Ⅳ from June 2016 to June 2022. There were 32 males and 32 females with an age of 12 (10, 14) years; 31 left and 33 right sides were affected. By the Salter-Harris classification: type Ⅲ in 45 cases, and type Ⅳ in 19 cases. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to their internal fixation methods. Group A (44 cases) was subjected to internal fixation with cannulated screws and group B (20 cases) to internal fixation with Kirschner wires. At the last follow-up, anteroposterior and lateral X-ray films of their ankle joints were taken for imaging evaluation. Functional recovery of the affected limbs was evaluated based on the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot scoring, and related complications were recorded.Results:The 2 groups were comparable because there were no significant differences in their preoperative general data except laterality ( P>0.05). All the patients were followed up for (37.3±21.5) months and achieved bony union. At the last follow-up, for groups A and B respectively, the distal lateral angle of the tibia was 89.0° (89.0°, 90.0°) and 89.0° (89.0°, 90.0°), the range of ankle motion was 73.5° (67.8°, 76.0°) and 70.0° (70.0°, 75.0°), and the good and excellent rate by the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot scoring was 97.7% (43/44) and 95.0% (19/20), showing no significant difference between the 2 groups ( P>0.05). There was a significant difference between the 2 groups in the incidence of premature physeal closure [36.4% (16/44) versus 65.0% (13/20)] ( P=0.033). Conclusions:In the treatment of medial malleolar fractures of Salter-Harris types Ⅲ and Ⅳ in children, internal fixation with both cannulated screws and Kirschner wires can lead to comparable efficacy in good functional recovery and imaging evaluation. However, fixation with cannulated screws may be more advantageous in reducing the risk of early closure of the epiphysis.

Objective:To explore the clinical features and surgical outcomes of greater trochanteric fractures of the femoral neck in children.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the 5 children with greater trochanteric fracture of the femoral neck who had been treated at Department of Pediatric Orthopaedics, Fuzhou Second General Hospital from January 2011 to December 2020. There were 1 boy and 4 girls, with an age of (11.0±1.9) years. By the Delbet classification, all were type Ⅲ fractures. The time from injury to operation was (4.4±2.1) days. The children were treated with cannulated screws (1 case) or fixation with a pediatric hip plate (4 cases). The clinical features of such fractures were analyzed; the fracture union time and hip function and complications at the last follow-up were recorded.Results:The clinical features of greater trochanteric fractures of the femoral neck in children were: (1) involvement of 2 anatomic sites in a narrow region, (2) comminuted fractures, and (3) all Delbet type Ⅲ fractures. The follow-up time was (22.8±6.0) months. All the 5 children obtained bony union. The union time was (5.2±1.8) weeks for greater trochanteric fractures, and 8.0 (8.0,10.0) weeks for femoral neck fractures. Follow-up observed no necrosis of the femoral head, premature closure of the femoral head epiphysis, hip varus deformity, or length disparity between the lower limbs. Premature closure of the greater trochanteric epiphysis occurred in 2 children after surgery. According to the Ratliff scoring, the hip function was excellent in 3 cases and good in 2.Conclusions:Greater trochanteric fractures of the femoral neck in children are a special kind of proximal femoral comminuted fractures that affect 2 anatomic sites in a narrow region and belong all to Delbet type Ⅲ fractures. Open reduction and internal fixation with cannulated screws or a pediatric hip plate is a safe and effective treatment for such fractures.

Objective:To compare the efficacy between Kirschner wire and clavicular hook plate in the fixation of distal clavicle fractures in older children.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted of the 28 pediatric patients with distal clavicle fracture who had undergone surgical treatment at Department of Pediatric Orthopedics, The Second General Hospital of Fuzhou from December 2014 to December 2023. There were 20 boys and 8 girls. Age: 10.0 (9.0, 12.8) years old; 22 left sides and 6 right sides; by the Craig modified Neer classification: 22 cases of type Ⅱ, 5 cases of type Ⅳ, and 1 case of type Ⅴ. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on their internal fixation methods. The Kirschner wire group of 12 cases were treated with open reduction and Kirschner wire fixation; the hook plate group of 16 cases were treated with open reduction and clavicular hook plate fixation. Operation time, hospital stay, fracture healing time, incidence of complications, and scores at the final follow-up (the Constant-Murley shoulder function score, quick disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand (quickDASH) score, and visual analog scale (VAS) for aesthetic satisfaction) were recorded and compared between the 2 groups.Results:There were no statistically significant differences in the baseline data between the 2 groups, indicating comparability ( P>0.05). The postoperative follow-up period for the 28 patients was (14.8±6.5) months. The operation time in the Kirschner wire group [(34.3±12.1) min] was significantly shorter than that in the hook plate group [(49.4±16.8) min] ( P<0.05), and the VAS score for aesthetic satisfaction at the final follow-up in the Kirschner wire group [(8.2±1.1) points] was significantly higher than that in the hook plate group [(6.2±2.6) points] ( P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of fracture healing time, hospital stay, incidence of complications, or Constant-Murley score and quickDASH score at the final follow-up ( P>0.05). Conclusions:For pediatric patients with distal clavicle fracture, both Kirschner wire fixation and clavicular hook plate fixation can achieve good functional outcomes. However, Kirschner wire fixation has advantages of shorter operation time, higher postoperative aesthetic satisfaction, and no need of a secondary surgery for implant removal.

Objective:To analyze the risk factors for ankle varus deformity after McFarland fracture surgery in children.Methods:A total of 48 children with McFarland fracture who underwent surgical treatment in the Second General Hospital of Fuzhou from January 2015 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, including 24 males and 24 females, aged 11.2±3.2 years (range, 2-14 years), 19 cases on the left side and 29 cases on the right side. Salter-Harris classification: 34 cases of type III and 14 cases of type IV. Causes of injuries: 28 cases of sports injuries, 15 cases of fall injuries, and 5 cases of car accident injuries. The time from injury to operation was 2.6±1.7 d (range, 1-7 d). The reduction methods included closed reduction in 38 cases and open reduction in 10 cases. Tibial internal fixation: 42 cases of hollow screws, 6 cases of Kirschner pins. There were 30 cases of combined fibula fracture, 20 cases were fixed with plate, 8 cases were fixed with Kirschner's pin, and 2 cases were not treated with internal fixation. The internal fixation survival time was 6.4±2.8 months (range, 1-12 months). The lateral distal tibial angle (LDTA) was used to determine whether the child had ankle varus deformity. The general data and perioperative indicators of the two groups were compared, and the indicators with statistically significant differences were included in binary logistic regression analysis to determine the independent risk factors for ankle varus deformity after McFarland fracture surgery in children. The receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn and the area under the curve of each independent risk factor was calculated.Results:All patients successfully completed the operation and were followed up for 39.2±21.8 months (range, 15-98 months). At the last follow-up, all the 48 children with McFarland fracture had bone union and the internal fixation was successfully removed, and 5 of them had ankle varus deformity. The LDTA of the affected side was 98.6°±4.8° (range, 94°-106°) in the ankle varus deformity group and 89.0°±0.8° (range, 87°-91°) in the non-ankle varus deformity group. The age of children in the ankle varus deformity group was 6.6±5.1 years, which was younger than that in the non-ankle varus deformity group (11.7±2.5 years), and the difference was statistically significant ( t=3.772, P<0.001). The survival time of internal fixation in the ankle varus deformity group was 4.4±2.2 months, which was shorter than that in the non-ankle varus deformity group (6.6±2.8 months), and the difference was statistically significant ( t=1.750, P=0.087). There was no significant difference in gender, side, cause of injury, fracture type, initial displacement distance, fibular fracture, time from injury to operation, reduction method, or fixation method between the two groups ( P>0.05). Age and duration of internal fixation were included in binary logistic regression analysis. The results showed that age ( OR=0.717, 95% CI: 0.543, 0.945, P=0.018) was an independent risk factor for postoperative ankle varus deformity in children with McFarland fracture. The receiver operating characteristic curve of independent risk factors predicting postoperative ankle varus deformity in children with McFarland fracture was drawn and the area under the curve was calculated. The results showed that the best cut-off value of age was 5.5 years, and the area under the curve was 0.807, and the prediction efficiency of the prediction model was good. Conclusion:Age<5.5 years is an independent risk factor for postoperative varus ankle deformity in children with McFarland fracture.

Objective:To explore the diagnosis and treatment of humeral medial epicondyle fracture combined with radial neck fracture in children and adolescents.Methods:The clinical data were retro-spectively analyzed of the 12 pediatric patients with fractures of the humeral medial epicondyle plus the radial neck who had been admitted from February 2015 to August 2021 to Department of Pediatric Orthopedics, The Second Hospital of Fuzhou. There were 6 males and 6 females, with an age of (11.1 ± 2.5) years. According to the Papavasiliou classification, the humeral medial epicondyle fractures were type Ⅱ in 7 cases, type Ⅲ in 2 cases and type Ⅳ in 3 cases; according to the Judet classification, the radial neck fractures were type Ⅰ in 3 cases, type Ⅱ in 4 cases and type Ⅲ in 5 cases. Two Judet-Ⅰ radial neck fractures were missed by X-ray exam-ination but diagnosed by CT examination. Of the humeral medial epicondylar fractures, 9 were treated by open reduction and hollow screwing and 3 by closed reduction and Kirschner wiring. Of the radial neck fractures, 8 were treated by closed reduction and elastic intramedullary nailing and 4 conservatively. Fracture healing was followed up by postoperative radiographs. At the last follow-up, the carrying angles were measured, Kim Elbow Function Score (KEPS) was used to evaluate the functional recovery of the injured limb, and related complications were recorded.Results:All the 12 patients were followed up for (40.0±25.6) months. Fractures headed after (6.3±1.2) weeks. At the last follow-up, the carrying angle was 15.5°±2.6° on the injured side and 14.7°±2.0° on the healthy side, showing no significant difference ( P>0.05); KEPS was (96.3±5.3) points on the injured side and (98.8±2.3) points on the healthy side, showing no significant difference either ( P>0.05). No incision infection, bone nonunion, elbow valgus, joint stiffness or other complications were found; the postoperative elbow stability recovered well. Conclusions:As the fracture of the humeral medial epicondyle combined with the radial neck fracture is a special type of injury of straightened elbow during valgus stress in children and adolescents, it is likely to be missed in diagnosis. The goal of treatment is good functional recovery by restoring the articular match and elbow stability.

Objective:To evaluate the ultrasonography-guided percutaneous leverage reduction in the treatment of pediatric radial neck fractures.Methods:From May 2016 to May 2018, 42 patients with Judet Ⅲ or Ⅳ radial neck fracture were treated at Department of Pediatric Orthopedics, The Second Hospital of Fuzhou. They were 15 boys and 27 girls, aged from 3 to 12 years. All of them were treated by percutaneous leverage reduction and Métaizeau technique. The operative procedures were guided by ultrasonography in 20 cases and by C-arm fluoroscopy in 22 cases. Postoperative evaluation was based on Métaizeau imaging criteria, Tibone and Stoltz functional criteria; complications such as radial nerve injury were recorded.Results:There were no statistically significant differences between the ultrasonography-guided group and the fluoroscopy-guided group in preoperative general data, showing comparability ( P>0.05). There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of Métaizeau imaging, Tibone or Stoltz functional scores ( P>0.05). The frequency of fluoroscopy was (2.7±0.6) times for the ultrasonography group and (14.6±3.4) times for the fluoroscopy group while the operation time averaged (25.8±5.9) min for the former and (38.1±9.2) min for the latter, showing significant differences ( P<0.05). No postoperative complications were observed in the ultrasonography group while 4 cases of radial nerve injury in the fluoroscopy group, also showing significant difference between the 2 groups ( P< 0.05). Conclusion:Ultrasonography-guided percutaneous leverage reduction is a suitable surgical treatment of radial neck fracture in children, because it is simple, effective and safe.

Objective:To investigate the clinical results of Bouquet technique [multiple elastic stable intramedullary nails (ESIN)] in the treatment of unstable pediatric femoral shaft fractures.Methods:From August 2016 to October 2019, 25 pediatric patients (26 sides) with unstable femoral shaft fracture were treated with Bouquet technique at Department of Pediatric Orthopedics, The Second Fuzhou Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University. They were 17 boys and 8 girls, with a mean age of 7.8 years at injury (from 5 to 11 years). Their body weight ranged from 23 kg to 62 kg, with an average of 36.3 kg. Long oblique fractures happened in 6 cases (6 sides) and comminuted fractures in 19 cases (20 sides). Ten cases (11 sides) were fixated with 3 ESINs (type 3A) and 15 cases (15 sides) with 4 ESINs (type 4A in 6 cases and type 2A+2B in 9 cases). The multiple ESINs were inserted from the medial and lateral cortex of the distal femur through the fracture sides until the head ends of the nails were distributed evenly at the proximal femur. Recorded were the fracture healing time, complications, fracture reduction quality and hip function at the last follow-up.Results:All the 25 patients were followed up for 18 to 27 months (mean, 22.4 months). Their fractures got united after 4 to 8 weeks (mean, 6.3 weeks). One case presented with femoral overgrowth of 1.1 cm and another case with nail tail irritation. Follow-ups revealed that none of the patients had such complications as incision infection, limited joint movement, nonunion or delayed fracture union. The limb alignment recovered well with no angulation, shortening or rotational deformity. At the last follow-up, according to the efficacy evaluation system for intramedullary nails by Flynn et al., the quality of reduction of femoral shaft fractures was assessed as excellent in 24 sides and as good in 2 sides, giving an excellent and good rate of 100% (26/26). According to the hip Harris scoring system, the hip function was assessed as excellent in all the 26 sides, giving an excellent rate of 100% (26/26).Conclusion:Bouquet technique is safe and effective in the treatment of unstable pediatric femoral shaft fractures, leading to fine clinical results.