[Relationship between traffic accidents and femur fractures in childhood in a developing country].

INTRODUCTION

trauma accounts for 40% of deaths among young people worldwide, and it is estimated that for every death there are between three and fifty individuals living with trauma-related disabilities. In Latin America, traffic-related injuries are exponentially higher, invariably impacting on the pediatric population.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

this was a retrospective consecutive case series including all femoral fractures related to traffic accidents in pediatric patients up to 16 years of age, treated at a single tertiary trauma referral center in a developing country, from January 2022 to December 2025.

RESULTS

a total of 258 records of femoral fractures in patients under 16 years of age were analyzed, of which 128 were related to traffic accidents. In 16.4% of cases, the injured patients were vehicle drivers. The mean age was 8.9 years. The femoral shaft was affected in 78.1% of cases, and bilateral injuries occurred in 2.6%. Associated injuries were found in 66.4%, with traumatic brain injury being the most frequent. Fracture-related complications were observed at 10.1%. The average hospital stay was 9.2 days.

CONCLUSION

femoral fractures in patients under 16 years were mainly associated with traffic accidents involving motorcycles, most frequently affecting the femoral shaft. Male patients predominated, with a high frequency of associated injuries, particularly traumatic brain injury. Intramedullary fixation was the most commonly used treatment, with a low complication rate and generally satisfactory functional outcomes.