Scoring system for assessing the treatment of supracondylar fractures of the humerus.

This study follows up supracondylar fractures of the humerus in 41 children. Twenty-one boys and 20 girls were observed over an average period of 4.6 yr. The ages at the time of the fracture varied between 1 and 15 yr, the highest incidence occurring between 5 and 8 yr. Twenty-four patients were treated by closed reduction and long arm cast fixation, and 17 were handled by closed reduction after overhead skeletal traction. The children who were treated with skeletal traction had comparatively more-severe fractures. Although the results have no statistical significance, a greater range of motion was regained in the elbows treated by the skeletal traction method. Following treatment, none of the patients had complications from infection or from neurovascular problems. One of the problems this study posed was in comparing our work to similar published reports. We therefore developed a new scoring system for evaluating the results achieved in treatment of this type of fracture.