Functional Outcome of Pediatric Subtrochanteric Fractures Treated With a Titanium Elastic Nailing System (TENS)...

Introduction Uncertainty exists regarding the ideal course of therapy for subtrochanteric fractures in children of intermediate age. These fractures are challenging to treat, with scarce literature-based evidence to support a definitive implant. The ideal course of treatment should consider the patient's weight, age, femoral canal size, associated injuries, fracture stability, and surgeon's experience. A subtrochanteric femoral fracture in a child between the age of 5-12 is difficult to treat. For these patients, there is debate concerning the optimal internal fixation, hence this study was conducted to try and determine the superior mode of treatment for these fractures. The objective of this study is to compare functional outcomes of subtrochanteric fractures in the paediatric age group operated on with titanium elastic nail and plate fixation and the complications associated with both treatment modalities. Materials and methods This is a retrospective observational study of 40 cases that were admitted and operated on in the hospital of the current study from May 2007 to November 2021. Twenty patients underwent titanium elastic nailing system (TENS) nailing and the other 20 patients underwent plating for subtrochanteric fractures. The surgeries were conducted at our institute and patients were followed up at one-, three-, and six-month intervals. The final functional results were calculated with the help of the Flynn scoring system.  Results Out of 40 patients involved in the present study, 17 were female while 23 were male. Twenty patients received treatment with titanium elastic nails, and the remaining twenty received plating. The majority of the patients were males around 9.6 years of age on average in the plating group and 8.9 years in the nailing group. In comparison to 75% of participants in the plating group, 40% of patients who received nailing showed excellent results. Results were satisfactory for five patients who received titanium elastic nails and one who received plating. The only poor outcomes were noticed in six people (30%) in TENS and three people (15%) in the plating group who went through unplanned surgery for complications. In comparison to the plating group, the overall rate of complication was much greater in the TENS group. Conclusion We would like to conclude our study that, in accordance with Flynn's score, both elastic nailing and plating stabilization can produce positive functional outcomes. Both groups have a similar percentage of excellent and good results. We also conclude that the overall complication rate is slightly higher for patients treated with TENS when compared to plating for subtrochanteric fractures.