Neglected Lateral condyle Humerus Fractures: Current Concepts and Practices

Neglected lateral condyle fractures present varied and difficult challenges to the treating orthopaedic surgeon. They have the potential to cause long term problems like deformities, stiffness, instability and tardy ulnar nerve palsy. The treatment of lateral condyle non-unions depend on the presence or absence of deformity, the duration of non-union, skeletal maturity of the child and the presence or absence of ulnar nerve palsy. Accordingly the treatment ranges from conservative management in neglected fractures with no deformity and no ulnar nerve palsy at one end, Open/mini-open or closed in-situ fixation for established non-unions with instability and corrective osteotomy with fixation of non-union and ulnar nerve transposition at the other end. In this article, the authors have endeavoured to go through the various aspects of clinical presentations and treatment modalities for this difficult fracture. Keywords: Neglected lateral condyle fractures, Cubitus valgus, Tardy ulnar nerve palsy, Instability.