Orthopedic & Muscular System: Current Research
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-0533
+44-20-4587-4809
ISSN: 2161-0533
+44-20-4587-4809
Background: Injuries of the musculoskeletal system in children and adolescents are an important clinical and economical problem. Forearm fractures involving one or two bones comprise more than one third of all fractures in this population group. In our work, we have decided to evaluate the epidemiological incidence of the forearm fractures with the special regard to the precise anatomical location in the representative population of children and youth from a typical Polish town.
Methods: The study included the entire population aged 0-18 years old from the city of Olsztyn in the years 2009- 2012. The analysis of the incidence of fractures was based on the complete medical records. The test used the division of forearm fractures into 7 groups (depending on the anatomical location).
Results: The study recorded 1.668 new episodes of isolated fractures of the forearm in patients up to the age of 18 years; the incidence was 7.8/1000/year. A higher incidence of fractures was found in boys than in girls (66% vs. 34%). The most common location was the fracture of the distal radius (43% of all fractures of the forearm), the rarest location – the isolated fracture of the shaft of the ulna (3%). The spring is the period of the greatest incidence of fractures (38%), during the remaining seasons fractures in children include: 30% - summer, 18% - autumn, 14% - winter. The average age of a child with the fracture is 9.85. Conclusions: Most authors in their work focus exclusively on the fractures of the distal epiphysis of the forearm. We have evaluated all the fractures of the forearm. In the light of the published data, there are no clearly documented reasons or etiopathogenetic links to the bone fragility in the first two decades of life. Further studies are needed to determine the exact causes and possibilities of their elimination or reduction as well as the minimization of consequences.