Surgical treatment of unstable diaphyseal both-bone forearm fractures in children with single fixation of the radius.

We retrospectively reviewed the result from 50 children (5 to 14 years; mean age 11 years) with unstable diaphyseal forearm fractures involving both the radius and ulna, for which closed reduction has been unsuccessful, and so were treated with open reduction and internal fixation of the radius only. The rationale of this treatment is to stabilize the radius as it is this bone which has the more complicated function of the two forearm bones. After anatomical reduction and fixation of the radius the ulnar fracture had a better alignment. In this series the functional and the anatomical results in all children at a mean follow up of 4 years (range 1 to 10 years) were excellent.