Surgical approach for elastic stable intramedullary nail in pediatric radius shaft fracture: a systematic review

When using elastic stable intramedullary nailing in children's distal radius shaft fractures, the surgical approach can either be lateral or dorsal. The aim of this article was to carry out a systematic review of the literature comparing the two types of approaches in terms of complications. An electronic search of databases was performed. Titles of articles were screened, and abstracts and full text were read. Data were extracted in terms of demographics and complications. The dorsal approach had a 2.6% rate of extensor pollicis longus tendon rupture, whereas the lateral approach had a 2.9% rate of transient superficial radial nerve palsy and 0.3% rate of permanent damage. These complications should be considered when deciding between the two surgical approaches.