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Published on: April 18, 2011
Triplane fracture of the distal femur: a case report
Julio Javier Masquijo1, Victoria Allende
1Department of Pediatric Orthopaedics Sanatorio Allende, Córdoba, Argentina. javimasquijo@hotmail.com
Introduction:
Triplane fractures are well-documented injuries occurring in the distal and proximal tibia, distal humerus, distal radius, and the hand. However, there are no reports in the distal femur. The aim of this study was to document an unusual fracture pattern, and to make recommendations about the evaluation and management of children with such injuries.
Methods:
A rare case of distal femoral triplane fracture in a 13-year-old boy is reported. This type of injury consists of a transverse fracture of the physis (Salter-Harris I), and a coronal and sagittal intra-articular fracture of the epiphysis (Salter-Harris III).
Discussion:
To our knowledge, this pattern was not described before in the English literature. Authors discuss the assessment and management of this unique fracture. A 3-step sequence of reduction is proposed.
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