Growth disturbance following fracture of the tibia in children

Orthoradiographs were produced from 13 to 36 months after tibial fractures in 85 children. Fifty-nine were complete i.e. tranverse or longitudinal, and 28 fractures were incomplete i.e. infractions or fissures. The difference in the length of the tibia from growth disturbance caused by the fracture was found to be related to the age of the child at the time of fracture and the sex. An overgrowth was found to occur in the age group from 3 to 10 years in girls and from 3 to 12 years in boys, whereas in the older children a growth retardation was demonstrated. No correlation with the type of fracture, or with the residual angulation after reduction, could be established. The growth disturbance appeared to last for 1 to 2 years. We conclude that a more concerned attitude towards residual shortening at the time of reduction should be adopted in girls from the age of 10 and boys from the age of 12 years in order to compensate for the growth retardation induced by the fracture.