Treatment of fractures of the medial epicondyle of the humerus

Abstract

Forty-three children with a fracture of the medial epicondyle were reviewed; 20 had had non-operative treatment and 23 had been treated by operation. Any final disability was slight, irrespective of the treatment used. Although surgery was more likely to restore the fragment to its normal position (P = 0.0001) and achieve bony union (P = 0.04), minor symptoms were less common in the non-operatively treated group (P = 0.02). Instability of the elbow could not be demonstrated in any of the patients. It is recommended that operative treatment is employed only when an intra-articular fragment cannot be removed from the joint by manipulation.