Functional fracture-bracing of long-bone fractures of the lower extremity in children.

Fifty-six tibial fractures in fifty-five children, sixteen years old or younger, and seventeen femoral fractures in seventeen children in the same age group, seven of them with associated tibial fractures, were treated by fracture-bracing. The tibial fractures healed in an average of 13.2 weeks with no complications that could be attributed to failure of the method. The femoral fractures healed in an average of seventeen weeks. There was an angular femoral deformity of more than 5 degrees in seven of seventeen patients, all but one in fractures of the middle third of the femoral shaft. Of nine distal fractures, only one had angulation of more than 5 degrees. Therefore, the method should be restricted to fractures in the distal third of the femoral shaft. Fracture-bracing gave more freedom to the child and was eminently satisfactory to the parents.