Bennet A Butler1, Cort D Lawton1, Robert Christian1, Ryan E Harold1, Prasad Gourineni2, John F Sarwark3. 1. Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, 676 North St. Clair St., Suite 1350, Chicago, Illinois, 60611, USA. 2. Advocate Children's Hospital, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, 4440 W 95th St, Oak Lawn, IL, 60453, USA. 3. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Division of Orthopedic Surgery, 255 East Chicago Ave, Chicago, Illinois, 60611, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Pediatric femur fractures are frequently encountered injuries frequently treated with spica casting. Spica casting may, however, be expensive and burdensome to patients. A possible alternative is a long leg splint. METHODS: Patients aged 6 months to 5 years old who were treated for a femoral shaft fracture with a long leg splint extending above the waist were matched with a patient treated with a spica cast. RESULTS: At the time of healing, the alignment in the spica cast group was only significantly better than the alignment of the splint group with respect to coronal angulation.
BACKGROUND: Pediatric femur fractures are frequently encountered injuries frequently treated with spica casting. Spica casting may, however, be expensive and burdensome to patients. A possible alternative is a long leg splint. METHODS: Patients aged 6 months to 5 years old who were treated for a femoral shaft fracture with a long leg splint extending above the waist were matched with a patient treated with a spica cast. RESULTS: At the time of healing, the alignment in the spica cast group was only significantly better than the alignment of the splint group with respect to coronal angulation.
Authors: Ezequiel H Cassinelli; Brett Young; Molly Vogt; Mary Clyde Pierce; Vincent F X Deeney Journal: J Orthop Trauma Date: 2005 Nov-Dec Impact factor: 2.512