Epidemiological study on supracondylar fractures of distal humerus in pediatric patients

The purpose of this work is to study the epidemiology of patients with distal humerus supracondylar fractures in pediatric age treated in a tertiary hospital.

A descriptive study was conducted on the epidemiological characteristics of distal humerus supracondylar fractures in pediatric patients treated in a tertiary hospital from January 1, 2014 to June 30, 2018. The following variables were analyzed: age, side of lesion, sex, type of Gartland's classification, date of injury, mechanism, place and moment of trauma, therapeutic attitude, complications and associated fractures.

A total of 140 patients were included in the study, with an average age of 5 years and 3 months. According to Gartland's classification, 40% of patients with type I fractures were found, 20.7% with type II and 39.3% with type III. Of the total sample, 76 patients (54.3%) were treated surgically and 9 (6.4%) had neurological complications. Likewise, in 135 cases the place of the fall could be identified, most of them (52.1%) in the park with a significantly higher incidence from May to August (45.8%) and the weekends (70.71%).

The incidence of supracondylar humerus fractures seems to be greater associated with the activity in the parks and, above all, it would be greater during the summer period, in the afternoon and the weekends.