Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 3, 2025
Adjustable Stiffness, External Fixator for the Rat Femur Osteotomy and Segmental Bone Defect Models
Published on: October 9, 2014
[Case control study on micro external fixator in treating supracondylar fracture of humerus in children]
Yi-Wen Xu1, Yong Zheng1, Zhen Shi1
1Department of Orthopaedics, Central Hospital of Xianning, Xianning 437000, Hubei, China.
Insights
Micro external fixators offer a safe and effective alternative for treating pediatric supracondylar humerus fractures, showing reduced operation times and fewer complications compared to traditional Kirschner wire fixation.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Pediatric Orthopedics
- Traumatology
Background:
- Supracondylar humerus fractures are common in children.
- Traditional Kirschner wire fixation carries risks of nerve injury and deformity.
- Micro external fixation presents a potential alternative treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the clinical outcomes of micro external fixator versus Kirschner wire fixation for pediatric supracondylar humerus fractures.
- To evaluate operation time, fluoroscopy use, and complication rates.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 20 children treated with micro external fixation and 39 with Kirschner wire fixation (Gartland III fractures).
- Data collected included operation duration, intraoperative fluoroscopy times, and Mayo elbow scoring.
- Complications such as ulnar nerve injury and cubitus varus were meticulously recorded.
Main Results:
- The micro external fixator group had significantly shorter operation times (30.10±12.50 min vs. 45.60±18.90 min) and fewer fluoroscopy uses (10.00±2.50 vs. 19.00±5.60).
- The treatment group showed a lower incidence of moderate/severe cubitus varus and no ulnar nerve injuries.
- Clinical effectiveness, assessed by Mayo scoring, was comparable between the two groups (P>0.05).
Conclusions:
- Micro external fixation provides comparable clinical results to Kirschner wire fixation for pediatric supracondylar humerus fractures.
- This method offers advantages including reduced operation time, decreased fluoroscopy exposure, and a lower risk of nerve injury and cubitus varus.
- The technique is simple and effective for managing these fractures.
Objective:
To explore clinical effects of micro external fixator for the treatment of supracondylar fracture of humerus in children.
Methods:
From October 2017 to December 2018, 20 children with supracondylar fracture of humerus (treatment group) were admitted and treated with micro-external fixation after closed reduction, including 14 males and 6 females, aged from 6 to 14 years old with an average of (7.9±2.4) years old, classified to Gartland Ⅲ. Thirty nine children with supracondylar fracture of humerus were admitted as control group from January 2015 to September 2017, and treated with closed reduction Kirschner wire fixation. Among them, including 24 males and 15 females, aged from 6 to 14 years old with an average of (8.1±1.9) years old, classified to GartlandⅢ. Operation time, times of intraoperative fluoroscopy, and complications between two groups were observed and compared, Mayo scoring system at the latest follow up was used to evaluate clinical effect.
Results:
Twenty children in treatment group were followed up from 6 to 12 months with an average of (8.0±2.5) months, operation time was(30.10±12.50) min, times of intraoperative fluoroscopy was(10.00±2.50). Fifteen patients got excellent results, 3 good, 2 fair according to Mayo elbow joint scoring. No ulnar nerve injury moderate or severe elbow varus occurred in treatment group. Thirty-nine children in control group were followed up from 5 to 13 months with an average of (9.0±3.1) months, operation time was(45.60±18.90) min, times of intraoperative fluoroscopy was(19.00±5.60). Twenty-three patients got excellent results, 12 good, 3 fair and 1 poor according to Mayo elbow joint scoring. One child occurred ulnar nerve injury and recovered at the final follow-up, 1 child occurred severe cubitus varus and 2 children occurred moderate cubitus varus. There was no statistical difference in clinical effect between two groups (P>0.05). Occurrence rate of moderate and server cubitus varus, operation time and times of intraoperative fluoroscopy in treatment group were better than that of control group(P<0.05).
Conclusion:
Treated with closedreduction and mini external fixator fixed on children humerus condyle fracture could receive the same clinical result as closed as reduction gram needle fixation, which has advantages of shorter operation time, less times of intraoperative fluoroscopy, not esay to damage ulnar nerve during operation, less incidence of moderate and severe cubitus varus deformity after operation, and the permeation was simple.
More Related Videos
07:35Creating Rigidly Stabilized Fractures for Assessing Intramembranous Ossification, Distraction Osteogenesis, or Healing of Critical Sized Defects
Published on: April 11, 2012
08:20A Reliable and Reproducible Critical-Sized Segmental Femoral Defect Model in Rats Stabilized with a Custom External Fixator
Published on: March 24, 2019
