The authors made a retrospective review of children with supracondylar fracture of the humerus with the purpose of analyzing these fractures characteristics and comparing them with the literature. The registers from patients attended at the Trauma and Orthopedics Service, São Lucas Hospital, PUCRS, containing the data necessary for the survey (age, race, affected side, fracture classification, complications and treatment) were reviewed. Sixty-three 1 to 11 year-old patients were studied. Extension and flexion lesions occurred in 78.5% and 10.5% of the cases, respectively. Most of the cases were observed in males (63.4%) and whites (95.2%). Lesions at the left side (55.6%) were more frequent. Surgical treatment was carried out in 76% of the cases and conservative treatment in 24%. As concerns the Gartland Classification, 8% were type I, 17,4% type II, and 74,6% type III. Nerve complications were observed in 6.35% of the cases, and vascular complications in 3.2%. The results of the survey are consistent with the literature outlining the importance of this pathology in children and the need of acknowledging the characteristics, the classification, and the management of this pathology.
supracondylar fracture; humerus; pediatric trauma; elbow fracture
