Reduction and fixation of radius neck fractures in children with intramedullary pin

In radius neck fractures, reduction manipulations applied on the radial head with percutaneous K-wires may lead to epiphysis or physis damage. In this study, 16 cases were evaluated without using any percutaneous manipulations upon the displaced radius head. Rather, an Ender-pin-like, curve-tipped K-wire was inserted intramedullary (Metaizeau technique) after a certain amount of reduction by manual manipulation under fluoroscopic guidance. Complete reduction was obtained with wire rotations in 16 patients. A total of 16 patients with open growth plates with an average age of 8 years were enrolled within the scope of the study. Thirteen patients (81.25%) showed excellent clinical results, two patients (12.5%) showed good results, and one patient (6.25%) showed average results. None of the cases exhibited poor results. A single K-wire was used in nine cases, whereas two K-wires were used for fixation rigidity in seven cases with larger medullas. No sign of neurovascular deficit, synostosis, or infection was observed in any of the cases. In conclusion, the use of two wires in patients with larger medullas and emphasis on the importance of closed reduction, even without percutaneous K-wire manipulation, might lead to the development of a new treatment approach for pediatric patients with radial head fractures.