Does fluoroscopy improve outcomes in paediatric forearm fracture reduction?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Pediatric Traumatology
• Radiology

Background:

• Paediatric forearm fractures are common injuries requiring accurate reduction.
• Fluoroscopy is often used to guide fracture reduction, but its necessity is debated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare radiographic outcomes of paediatric forearm fractures reduced with and without fluoroscopic enhancement.
• To determine if fluoroscopic guidance leads to smaller residual deformities and fewer re-reductions or surgeries.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort analysis of 229 paediatric patients with forearm fractures across two trauma centers.
• Comparison of fractures treated with C-arm fluoroscopy versus those treated without.
• Evaluation of re-reduction rates, late displacement, post-reduction deformity, and surgical intervention needs.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were found in re-reduction rates, surgery rates, or post-reduction deformities between the fluoroscopy and non-fluoroscopy groups.
• 15% of children required re-reduction, 23% experienced secondary displacement, and 12.7% underwent surgery (total).

Conclusions:

• Fluoroscopy use during paediatric forearm fracture reduction does not appear to significantly improve patient outcomes.
• Reductions without fluoroscopy were equally effective in correcting deformities in both coronal and sagittal planes.