[Fractures of the proximal tibial epiphyseal cartilage]

The authors present 9 children who sustained 10 fractures of proximal tibial epiphyseal cartilage (7--left tibia, 3--right tibial), and were treated in Children's University Hospital in Kraków between years 1994-2001. Mean age in the time of trauma was 12.7 years (6-17 years), the mean follow-up time was 17.4 months (8-48 months). According to Salter-Harris classification there was 5 fractures of type I, 4 of type II, 1 of type III. One child was treated by closed reduction and percutaneous Kirschner wires fixation. One child was treated by traction. The rest of the children were treated by casting, in knee flexion about 30 degrees. In one child there was premature closing of epiphyseal cartilage, shortening 1.5 cm and posterior curvature of tibia. In this child we performed flexion tibial osteotomy. In one child few months later we recognized meniscal tears (the patient was operated on). The results in the rest of children were good and there were not complications. The authors discuss the literature connecting to proximal tibial epiphyseal fractures.