Practices concerning management of Gartland type III supracondylar humeral fractures among Italian pediatric orthopedic surgeons.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current practice among Italian pediatric orthopedic surgeons concerning management of Gartland type III supracondylar humerus fractures (SHFs). A total of 17 Italian pediatric orthopedic surgeons were asked to complete a questionnaire about their attitudes and practices concerning Gartland type III SHF treatment in 2015. Overall, 67% of the fractures were treated in a delayed fashion (>6 h after patient presentation to the emergency department). Moreover, the method of fixation was lateral-only pinning (64% of the cases). Although the management of any child with a Gartland type III SHF should be individualized, this study shows that delayed surgery and lateral-only pin fixation is the preferred method for the treatment of most of these injuries.