[Treatment of shaft fractures in children with elastic titanium nails]

According to the statistics, long bone fractures in children are caused by high-energy mechanisms and they are the most frequent ones in the orthopedic practice. The advantage of reducing these fractures with elastic titanium nails and three buttress points is that neither the blood supply nor the physis are injured.

Twenty-seven patients ages 5-15 years of age were analyzed. They presented at the Emergency Service, Polanco Red Cross Orthopedics and Trauma Hospital, between July 1st 2006 and July 1st 2007.

The sample size was 27 patients, the highest incidence occurred at 10 years of age, the forearm was the most frequent location, and the treatment of choice was closed surgery. Only one complication occurred, fractures healed before 8 weeks and rehabilitation started before 9 weeks. All of them had permissible angulations and 4 patients had a 2 mm shortening. The use of elastic titanium nails is an effective method to treat long bone fractures, it results in minimal angulations and few complications, and allows patients to promptly resume their activities.