Outcomes of Surgical Management of Late Presenting Intra-Articular Distal Femoral Physeal Fracture: A Multicentric Retrospective Case Series.

Abstract

Distal femur physeal fractures in children, particularly Hoffa fractures, are rare and prone to complications. This study aims to evaluate the outcomes of surgical intervention in children presenting with delayed intra-articular distal femur physeal fractures. A multicentric retrospective study involved six pediatric patients with delayed presentation of distal femur physeal fractures. Five patients underwent surgical intervention involving osteotomy and anatomical re-fixation of the malunited fragments. One patient opted for conservative management. The age at presentation, time since injury, surgical procedures, and clinical and radiological outcomes were evaluated at the final follow-up. Fixation with lag screws was sufficient in three patients, while two required additional plate stabilization. The mean age of patients was 12.2 years, comprising four boys and two girls. The average delay in presentation was 30.8 months (ranging from 3 months to 8 years). For the surgical group (n = 5), the knee range of motion improved from an average of 16°-66° preoperatively to 6°-128° post-operatively at a mean follow-up of 60 months. The mean limb shortening was 3 cm (range 0.5-5 cm). Two patients required additional procedures for distal femur varus malalignment. The conservatively managed patient showed no improvement in knee movements at the 12-month follow-up, serving as a control. Surgical intervention involving osteotomy and anatomical reduction for malunited intra-articular Salter-Harris-type III and IV fractures of the distal femur in children yields good to excellent outcomes. Limb length discrepancy and malalignment, if present, can be addressed separately. Longer follow-up until skeletal maturity is necessary to evaluate final outcomes in these patients. Level of evidence: Level IV (case series). Therapeutic.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43465-024-01291-4.