[Surgical correction following shaft fractures in childhood and adolescence: indications]

Fractures of the shaft of the long bones in children rarely cause deformities requiring surgical correction. The many natural mechanism of correction prevent permanent anomalies of rotation, length and axial deviation. Our experiences confirm the views expressed in the literature. Of 3800 children with fractures treated in the last 5 years, 539 were located in the diaphysis. Of these only one required an operation to correct a permanent deformation. In spite of the rarity of deformations, one should be aware of the limits of tolerance of the initial and the resulting secondary deformation, in order to better assess the correct initial treatment. In the management of fractures in children a knowledge of the development and physiological evolution of the axial, longitudinal and rotational deviation is of primary importance. In this way unnecessary errors leading to premature operative corrections can be avoided.