COMPLICATIONS OF TREATMENT BY TITANIUM ELASTIC INTRAMEDULLARY NAILS IN CHILDREN WITH FEMORAL SHAFT FRACTURES

Treatment of pediatric femoral shaft fractures is actual subject of modern traumatology, because of high frequency and different types of treatment. Nowadays Osteosynthesis by Titanium Elastic intramedullary nails (TEN) is the most popular method of treatment for pediatric shaft fractures. As an other methods of treatment Osteosynthesis by TEN also has some complications. In our study we analyzed 119 patients 2 to 15 years of age with pediatric femoral shaft fractures who underwent operative treatment by TEN. According to Flynn's scoring criteria for TEN our patients had in 87 cases (73%) excellent result, in 29 cases (24%) - satisfactory results and in 3 cases (3%) - poor results. For patients with satisfactory and poor outcome (total 32 patients) the main problem was different degree pain and irritation of soft tissues from nail ends. No one patients had the same problem in who was inserted nail "end cup" (total 25 patients). Average operation duration was 50 minutes (from 25 to 100) and in only 5 cases from 119 (4%) was needed open reduction for fracture. Avarage hospital stay for patients was 3 days (from 2 to 7 days). Patients were permitted begin partial weight bearing avarage for 5 week (range from 4 to 8 weeks). We had no one case of infection complication and non or delaied union. We concluded that with opetration by TEN the coplications is mainly minor and don't affects general outcome of treatment for this particullar kind of fracture. the majority of complications are surgery techniques related and can be avoided by using of end cups for the nails. This technique successfully can be used in heavy children (from 40 to 50 kg) and even in children more than 50 kg with fracture type A3. Osteosynthesis by Titanium elanstin intramedullary nail is excellent method for theatment pediatric femoral diaphyseal fractures.