Temporary Fixation of Reduction with Fabric Adhesive Bandage in the Surgical Treatment of Pediatric Supracondylar Humerus Fractures.

Background and objectives : Supracondylar humerus fractures are common in children andcan be surgically treated. However, the general surgical procedures involving reduction andfixation might lead to reduction loss, failure to direct the Kirschner (K)-wire toward the desiredposition, prolonged surgery, or chondral damage. This study aimed to show that temporaryfixation of closed reduction with a fabric adhesive bandage in pediatric supracondylar humerusfractures could maintain reduction so that surgical treatment can be easily performed by a singlephysician. Materials and Methods : Forty-six patients with Gartland type 3 supracondylar humerusfractures who underwent surgical treatment between May 2017 and June 2018 were retrospectivelyevaluated. Fluoroscopy-guided reduction and fixation were performed from the distal third of theforearm to the proximal third of the humerus using a fabric adhesive bandage. Two crossed pinswere applied on the fracture line by first inserting a lateral-entry K-wire and then inserting anotherK-wire close to the anterior aspect of the medial epicondyle and diverging from the ulnar nervetunnel. A tourniquet was not applied in any patient and no patients required open reduction. Results : The study included 32 boys (69.6%) and 14 girls (30.4%) (mean age, 7.1; range, 2-16 years).The mean hospital stay and follow-up duration were 4.3 ± 3.9 days and 48.1 ± 14.3 weeks,respectively. Heterotopic ossification was detected in one patient, and ulnar nerve neuropraxia wasdetected in another patient. Functional (according to Flynn criteria) and cosmetic outcomes wereexcellent in 95.6%, moderate in 2.2%, and poor in 2.2% of patients. The mean duration of fixation ofthe closed reduction with a fabric adhesive bandage was 8.1 ± 3.9 min, and the mean duration ofpinning was 7.9 ± 1.4 min. Conclusions : Temporary preoperative fixation of supracondylar humerusfractures that require surgical treatment with a fabric adhesive bandage may be significantlyconvenient in practice.
Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.