[Complications of supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children]. / Les complications des fractures supracondyliennes de l'humérus chez l'enfant.

ABSTRACT

The supracondylar fracture of the humerus is the commonest type of elbow fracture in children. The peak incidence for this injury is between 5 and 10 years of age. The complications of these displaced fractures remain challenging problems. The early complications are mostly the neuro-vascular injuries. The difficulty in maintaining the reduction and ultimately the cubitus varus is the most frequent long-term complication with an incidence ranging from 3 to 57%. Adequate reduction and pinning has dramatically decreased this incidence. This paper describes these complications and their treatments.