[Disorders of vascularization following fracture of the ankle joint in children].

In the Department of Paediatric Surgery of the University of the Heidelberg, 64 children were admitted during five years to the hospital after an ankle fracture. 12 children showed a typical fracture of the growth plate (v. Laer). All 12 were not older than 12 years. The problem of this typical form of fracture is that even careful accurate treatment may be followed by growth problems of the tibial malleolus. A microangiographic postmortem study using plastinated shetts (v. Hagens) showed a normal distribution of vascularity of the ankle joint. The vascular damage after fracture and the damage of the local vascularity in the area at the growth plate after surgical treatment are comparable.