Characteristics of children aged 6 years or younger who had early spica cast treatment for diaphyseal femur fracture, and of fractures, treatment and follow-up
| Characteristic | No. (%) of patients* n = 246 |
|---|---|
| Patients | |
| Sex | |
| Female | 56 (22.8) |
| Male | 190 (77.2) |
| Age, mean ± SD (range), yr | 2.28 ± 1.35 (0.00–6.00) |
| Weight, mean ± SD (range), kg (n = 245) | 14.58 ± 3.35 (6.30–24.00) |
| Fractures | |
| Energy of mechanism | |
| High | 213 (86.6) |
| Low | 33 (13.4) |
| Laterality | |
| Left | 116 (47.2) |
| Right | 130 (52.8) |
| Pattern | |
| Spiral | 152 (61.8) |
| Oblique | 63 (25.6) |
| Transverse | 27 (11.0) |
| Comminuted | 4 (1.6) |
| Initial shortening, mean ± SD (range), mm (n = 224) | 14.9 ± 10.0 (0.00–43.60) |
| Initial coronal angulation, mean ± SD (range), ° (n = 238) | 10.8 ± 9.5 (0.00–57.00) |
| Initial sagittal angulation, mean ± SD (range), ° (n = 232) | 10.8 ± 10.5 (0.10–61.00) |
| Treatment | |
| Delay between injury and spica application, mean ± SD (range), d | 0.98 ± 0.56 (0.00–3.00) |
| Type of spica (n = 240) | |
| Single leg | 169 (70.4) |
| One and a half legs | 66 (27.5) |
| Two legs | 5 (2.1) |
| Orthopedic technician present (n = 245) | 147 (60.0) |
| Total hospital stay duration, mean ± SD (range), d | 1.60 ± 0.98 (0.00–6.00) |
| Duration of postoperative hospital stay, mean ± SD (range), d | 0.94 ± 0.86 (0.00–5.00) |
| Follow-up | |
| Time in spica, mean ± SD (range), d | 36.68 ± 8.44 (10.00–79.00) |
| Duration of follow-up, mean ± SD (range), mo | 7.48 ± 10.46 (0.66–91.36) |
| No. of follow-up visits, mean ± SD (range) | 3.31 ± 1.28 (1.00–9.00) |
| Radiographic shortening at last follow-up, mean ± SD (range), mm (n = 58) | 5.5 ± 5.6 (0.00–19.40) |
| Radiographic coronal angulation at last follow-up, mean ± SD (range), ° (n = 215) | 4.2 ± 4.6 (0.00–34.40) |
| Radiographic sagittal angulation at last follow-up, mean ± SD (range), ° (n = 199) | 9.0 ± 8.2 (0.10–55.90) |
SD = standard deviation.
↵* Except where noted otherwise.