Citation

Jawadi AH, Letts M. Am. J. Orthop. (Belle Mead NJ) 2003; 32(9): 459-62; discussion 462.

Affiliation

Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, Quadrant Healthcom)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

14560829

Abstract

A retrospective review of the medical records of 149 children < 18 years old who sustained femur fractures secondary to a motor vehicle accident found 159 fractured femurs; 89.3% were closed. One hundred seventy-nine associated injuries occurred in 87 patients (58.4%). Associated fractures were common (50.3%), followed by soft-tissue injuries (18.5%) and head injuries (14%; 3 deaths). The lower limbs were most commonly involved with associated fractures (37.8%), 9 had a "floating knee." The incidence of intra-abdominal injury was 5%, with the liver most commonly lacerated followed by the spleen and intestine. Forty-seven children (43.1%) developed 1 or more complications. The Pediatric Trauma Score ranged from -3 to 11 (73.8% scored > or = 8, while 26.2% scored < 8). Fractures of the femur in children are commonly associated with other injuries, particularly other fractures.

Language: en