Rd. Blasier et Cl. Barnes, AGE AS A PROGNOSTIC FACTOR IN OPEN TIBIAL FRACTURES IN CHILDREN, Clinical orthopaedics and related research, (331), 1996, pp. 261-264
Thirty-one consecutive open fractures of the tibia were reviewed prosp
ectively, Duration from injury until last examination averaged 3.7 yea
rs, The patients were divided into 2 groups for comparison: Group A co
nsisted of children younger than 12 years of age and Group B of patien
ts 12 years of age or older, The fractures were graded according to th
e system of Gustilo and Anderson, The severity of patient injuries in
each group was similar, The treatments were likewise similar, but for
all parameters studied, the younger patients fared better than their o
lder counterparts, This study suggests that open fractures in children
younger than 12 years of age require less aggressive surgical treatme
nt, heal faster, are more resistant to infection, and have fewer compl
ications than those in older children.