Fracture of the shaft of the femur in children.

Sixty-five cases of fracture of the femur shaft caused by trauma in children under age 12 were studied. All were treated by various conservative methods. Two patients later underwent open reduction and internal fixation. Children below 5 years of age were treated by Bryant's suspension traction method. Older children were treated by balanced skin traction. In a few cases where the position was not acceptable, the fracture was reduced under general anesthesia and fixed traction was applied. Patients were discharged with a hip spica when the fracture site was nontender (average three weeks). Undisplaced fractures were treated by a primary hip spica. Functional end results were good in 81.5%, fair in 15.4% and poor in 3.1%. Eight compound fractures in this series were treated conservatively.