Abstract: Supracondylar fractures, one of the most common elbow injury in children, involves the lower end of the humerus, usually affecting the thin portion of humerus through olecranon fossa or just above the fossa through the metaphysis. Considering the high frequency and the complications that can occur, great diligence is required to secure an excellent result and to avoid or minimize any complications.
Objectives: The present study was done to assess the result of the surgery concerning the restoration of function, deformity and about prevention of complications of the fracture.
Methodology: The prospective study, conducted on 40 cases of supracondylar fractures (Type II and Type III), who underwent open/closed reduction with K-wire fixation b/w August 2019 to August 2020, at NDMC medical college and Hindu Rao hospital, Delhi, India. It included 30 males and 10 females and the average age of presentation was 7.3 years. 30 patients had left-sided and 10 of them had right-sided fractures. Type 3 fracture was seen in 28 (24 posteromedial and 4 posterolateral) and Type 2 in 12 patients. Two patients had radial nerve injury, 2 had median nerve injury and 1 had distal end radius fracture. All the 12 cases with type II underwent closed reduction, while of the type III cases, 10 of them underwent closed and 18 of them underwent open reduction. 16 patients underwent 2 cross-wired pinning, 2 of them underwent lateral pinning and 22 of them underwent 3 wire pinning. Post-operatively, 1 patient developed pin tract infection and 1 had cubitus varus. All the patients were reviewed at 3, 6 and 12 weeks postoperatively and assessed for range of movements and deformity.
Results: Based on Flynn’s criteria, of the 40 cases, 34 patients obtained excellent results, 4 of them had good results and 2 of them had fair results.
Conclusion: This study shows that anatomical reduction and K-wire pinning in the management of supracondylar fracture provides good results and minimal loss in the range of movement with relatively fewer complications. Thus, we conclude that percutaneous pinning with either lateral entry K-wires or cross k-wires or a combination of lateral wires with medial wire is an appropriate treatment of choice for displaced supracondylar fracture of the humerus in children either by closed reduction or open reduction.
