Early and mid-term outcomes of nonsurgical management of femoral shaft fractures with associated multiple injuries in school-age children

Background Femoral shaft fractures associated with multiple injuries are commonly encountered in school-age children. Clinical outcomes of non-surgical management of pediatric femoral shaft fractures with high-energy multiple injuries are not well characterized. In this study, we evaluated the early and mid-term clinical outcomes of non-surgical management of pediatric femoral shaft fractures with high energy multiple injuries in our setting. Methods Retrospective review of school-age children with femoral shaft fractures managed non-surgically at the orthopedics department over a 3-year period. Results Eleven patients (6 boys and five girls; mean age: 7.2 years) with femoral shaft fractures associated with multiple injuries qualified the inclusion criteria. All fractures in this study population were sustained in road traffic accidents. Seven patients recovered very well. Basic functional recovery of lower limbs was satisfactory. Two patients had residual joint dysfunction, 4 patients showed abnormal gait, while 4 patients showed varying degrees of limp because of lower limb length discrepancy. Conclusion Clinical outcomes of non-surgical management of pediatric femoral shaft fractures at our center were comparable to the outcomes of other management approaches. Conservative management that shortens the duration of hospital stay without increasing cost of management should be encouraged.