THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FRACTURES IN PEDIATRIC POLYTRAUMA PATIENTS: EVALUATION OF CLINICAL OUTCOMES

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Pediatric Traumatology
• Trauma Care

Background:

• Polytrauma in children and adolescents presents unique challenges in fracture management.
• Pelvic and femur fractures require specific treatment protocols to ensure optimal outcomes.
• Understanding the impact of these injuries is crucial for improving pediatric trauma care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate pediatric patients with polytrauma and associated pelvic and femur fractures.
• To correlate the impact of these injuries with clinical outcomes in young patients.
• To analyze treatment modalities and patient disposition in a pediatric polytrauma cohort.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 44 pediatric polytrauma patients (ages 12-17) treated between January 2012 and December 2021.
• Analysis of injury patterns, focusing on pelvic and femur fractures (proximal and diaphyseal).
• Review of treatment strategies, including external fixation and surgical interventions, and patient outcomes.

Main Results:

• Diaphyseal femur fractures were most prevalent (70.44%), often resulting from falls.
• Linear external fixation was the primary treatment (45.45%).
• Most patients (88.63%) were hospitalized for 3-11 days, with low ICU admission (90.91%) and reoperation rates (77.27%).

Conclusions:

• Pediatric polytrauma patients with femur and pelvic fractures can achieve positive outcomes with appropriate management.
• External fixation is a common and effective initial treatment for these injuries.
• No mortality was recorded, indicating successful management protocols in this cohort.