The Location of the Biceps Tendon in Completely Displaced Proximal Humerus Fractures in Children

Objective: Proximal humeral fractures are commonly observed in children who sustain falls whilst running, or from heights. Appropriate and correct treatment is key in order to avoid limb length discrepancy and functional deficiencies. Current treatment methods include non-operative management such as collar and cuff immobilisation, and operative methods such as elastic stable intramedullary nails or Kirschner wires. This paper aims to present the demographics of this patient population and our experience in managing patients with proximal humerus fractures in an urban tertiary referral centre. Method: We assessed 41 cases across two sites in central London, identified via hospital electronic notes and our radiology digital system. We analysed patient demographics, mechanism of injury, time to discharge from orthopaedic services taking into account radiological and clinical union, and the treatment methods utilised. Results: The mean age of the cohort was 8.6 years old. 70% of the injuries were due to falls and 85% of cases were treated without an operation. The mean time to discharge from our service following radiological and clinical union was 46 days (9 – 161 days). Mean radiological and clinical union were 21.8 and 36.2 days respectively. Conclusion: These results support a non-operative approach, especially in cases with patients under 10 years of age. Surgery should only be undertaken in patients who have severe displacement and who have failed attempts at closed reduction. We would advocate a similar approach in institutions dealing with a comparable population of patients, as long as there are provisions for referral of more complex cases that require surgical stabilisation.

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The incidence and treatment trends of pediatric proximal humerus fractures

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders ◽

10.1186/s12891-019-2948-7 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Juuli Hannonen ◽

Hanna Hyvönen ◽

Linda Korhonen ◽

Willy Serlo ◽

Juha-Jaakko Sinikumpu

Keyword(s):

Upper Extremity ◽

Operative Treatment ◽

Proximal Humerus ◽

Study Time ◽

Annual Incidence ◽

Proximal Humerus Fractures ◽

Horse Riding ◽

Fractures In Children ◽

Humerus Fractures ◽

Treatment Trends

Abstract Background Proximal humerus fractures comprise approximately 2% of all pediatric fractures. In general, upper extremity fractures have increased in children. However, recent trends of proximal humerus fractures are not analyzed yet. The aim was to study the incidence and treatment trends of proximal humerus fractures in children. Methods All 300 children, aged < 16 years, who suffered from a proximal humerus fracture in the catchment area of Oulu University Hospital, Finland, between 2005 and 2015, were included. Radiographs were reviewed, and patients, injuries, treatments, and outcomes were comprehensively studied. Annual incidence was based on the child population at risk, which changed between 84.500 and 88.100 in the study time. Results The annual incidence of childhood proximal humerus fractures was mean 31.4/100,000 and no variation trend was found. The majority (92%) was treated nonoperatively, however, there was an increase of operative fixation from 0 to 16% during the study time (Difference 16, 95% CI 0.3 to 34.9%, P = 0.045). Bayonet displacement increased the risk of surgical fixation up to 16-fold (95% CI 4.8–51.4, P < 0.001) in a multivariate analysis when adjusted with other potential risk factors. Higher age was also associated with operative treatment (P = 0.002). The most usual recreational activities were horse riding, downhill skiing, snowboarding, and trampolining. Conclusion Contrary to most upper extremity fractures in children, proximal humerus fractures did not increase during the long study period. However, their operative treatment increased compared to nonoperative treatment, but the evidence supporting that trend remains unclear.

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