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The results of 20 conservatively treated elbow dislocations were retrospectively studied in 20 adults older than 16 years. After an average follow-up of 5 1/2 years (range 2-10 years), 16 patients (80%) had good or excellent results. Only two patients with neurological lesions showed poor results. According to the literature instability is always present after reduction of elbow dislocations. The conservatively treated patients of the present series showed no serious problems with long-term elbow instability at follow-up. In case of simple elbow dislocations instability after reduction does not form an indication for surgical treatment.

Unlabelled: In a group of 316 children with 318 femoral shaft fractures, 28 had been treated operatively (8.8%). Twenty children treated with plate-osteosynthesis came for follow-up. The indications for operation were polytrauma (6 X), unacceptable position after conservative treatment (6 X), severe head injury (3 X), serial fractures of the same limb (3 X) and open fractures (2 X). The average follow-up after trauma was four years and six months. Direct postoperative complications were a transient peroneal nerve palsy and a broken plate. In 17 children the difference in leg length was less than or equal to 1 cm. One boy with serial fractures of the same limb had an overgrowth of 3.3 cm and problems during walking., Conclusion: plate-osteosynthesis was a good method of treatment in this study on 20 children with femoral fractures and accompanying complicating conditions.

In a retrospective study 20 children with a medial epicondyle fracture of the elbow were evaluated. Possible pitfalls in diagnosis are described. The fate of the fragment after conservative as well as after operative treatment cannot be predicted. Nevertheless, final results were satisfactory.