Prevalence of complications of conservative treatment versus surgical treatment of ulna and radius shaft fractures in children under ten years of age. Alcivar Hospital. Period 2016-2020

Abstract

BACKGROUND: diaphyseal radius and ulna fractures are the third most frequent fracture in the pediatric population, representing 13-40% of all fractures. There are conservative and surgical therapeutic alternatives that could present complications that prevent adequate fracture consolidation or functionally limit the forearm.

METHODOLOGY: a study with a quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective approach that analyzed the medical records and radiological reports of 110 children under ten years of age treated at the Alcivar Hospital from 2016-2020.

RESULTS: 81,2 % of the children studied are between 6 and 10 years old, the peak age is seven years, mostly (67,3 %) male, and coming from urban areas, the leading cause of fracture was falling from their height with 82 % of cases. 11,8 % of patients had complications, these being more prevalent in children treated surgically compared to those treated conservatively (13 % vs 10 %).

CONCLUSION: The percentage of complications, in general, is lower than that proposed in our study.