Fractures of the hip in children.

Fractures of the hip are uncommon in children, and their importance is related not to the frequency of the injury but to the frequency of complications. Many of these complications can be minimized or avoided by anatomic reduction and internal fixation. Open reduction frequently is necessary to obtain a stable, anatomic reduction. Regardless of the age of the child, stable fixation of the fracture must be given priority over preservation of the proximal femoral physis. The development of osteonecrosis, however, is most likely related to the severity of the initial injury and is largely unaffected by treatment of the fracture.