[Complications of supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children]

Abstract

The supracondylar fracture of the humerus is the commonest type of elbow fracture in children. The peak incidence for this injury is between 5 and 10 years of age. The complications of these displaced fractures remain challenging problems. The early complications are mostly the neuro-vascular injuries. The difficulty in maintaining the reduction and ultimately the cubitus varus is the most frequent long-term complication with an incidence ranging from 3 to 57%. Adequate reduction and pinning has dramatically decreased this incidence. This paper describes these complications and their treatments.