Severity of elbow mobility limitation in pediatric patients with a displaced supracondylar humerus fracture requiring surgical treatment: A monocentric retrospective clinical study.

Abstract

Purpose: It was aimed to determine whether there is a statistically significant difference between various types of displaced supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children with movement impairment according to Flynn's classification.

Methods: Clinical results of 263 patients who were operated on with closed reduction and percutaneous pinning for displaced supracondylar fracture of the humerus were evaluated. Flynn's classification was used to compare movement impairment.

Results: One year after the procedure, only one patient in the category of extension fractures of type II displacement, and only in elbow flexion, had an unsatisfactory treatment outcome according to Flynn. All other patients achieved a satisfactory treatment outcome, with the vast majority, 252 patients (96%), in the excellent category. Four patients were in the good category, one patient in the fair category, and the aforementioned one patient in the poor category.

Conclusion: In 1 year after the surgery, the limitation of elbow mobility is usually insignificant regardless of the grade of displacement or type of supracondylar fracture of the humerus.

Level of evidence: Level III-retrospective comparative study.