Displaced supracondylar femoral fractures: Clinical and radiographic outcomes in children aged 4–10 years treated with Kirschner wires and hip spica cast

BACKGROUND: Supracondylar femoral fractures (SFFs) are uncommon in children but can cause several abnormalities. Although several methods have been employed to treat these fractures, no accepted standard has been established. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of displaced SFFs treated with Kirschner wires (K-wires) and hip spica casts in children aged 4–10 years. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 22 displaced SFFs (mean age, 6.7 years; range, 4–10 years) in patients who underwent surgical treatment with K-wires and hip spica casts. The patients were followed-up frequently, radiographically and clinically between January 2014 and February 2019. Postoperative healing and functional results were elevated according to the radiographic and clinical measures. RESULTS: Fifteen boys and seven girls were included in this study. All patients except two (91%), underwent closed reduction and stabilization of the fractures. The mean follow-up duration was four years (range, 2–5 years). All fractures showed clinical and radiological evidence of union 4–8 weeks after surgery. At the most recent check-up, all patients reported being pain-free and had returned to normal activities. The mean Knee Society Score was 95.41 at the final follow-up. According to the radiologic criteria, 18 of the 22 patients (81.8%) obtained excellent results, 3 (13.6%) had good results, 1 (4.5%) had a fair result, and none had poor results. CONCLUSION: Satisfactory clinical and radiological results can be expected in children aged 4–10 years using a combination of K-wires and hip spica cast fixation.