'Natural' healing of hip fractures in childhood.

Twenty intracapsular fractures of the femur in children below 14 years of age were reviewed. Gentle reduction was performed successfully in the displaced fractures. Close apposition of fracture fragments was maintained in all cases with skeletal traction for a time depending on the patient's age, the displacement and the appearance of bridging callus along the medial cortex of the femoral neck. Periosteal healing was evident in the displaced fractures, even in cases of severe ischaemic necrosis. This paper presents this phenomenon of initial external callus repair, not previously reported in the literature, which indicates the existence of functional periosteum of the femoral neck in children.