INTRODUCTION: Injuries to the medial structures of the elbow due to overhead throwing games are well documented. However, variations of medial epicondyles are not well described, especially in athletes with fused medial epicondyles. In this study, we evaluated variations in the medial epicondyle of baseball players who were aged 15-17 years and had fused epicondyles.
METHODS: In this cross-sectional observational study, 155 skeletally mature baseball players with unilateral medial elbow pain and 310 elbow radiographs were reviewed by two independent reviewers. The medial epicondyles were categorised into three groups: normal, elongated or separated.
RESULTS: Among the 155 patients, 65 (41.9%) had normal epicondyles, 41 (26.5%) had elongated epicondyles and 49 (31.6%) had separated epicondyles. The medial epicondyle was larger on the dominant arm for 125 (80.6%) patients; the mean surface area on the dominant arm was 222.50 ± 45.77 mm2, while that of the non-dominant arm was 189.14 ± 39.56 mm2(p < 0.01). Among the three categories of medial epicondyles, separated epicondyles had the largest surface area, followed by elongated and normal epicondyles.
CONCLUSION: Medial epicondyles in adolescent throwing athletes can be categorised into three different groups according to their shape (normal, elongated and separated). We observed a correlation between the shape and the surface area of the medial epicondyle in adolescent throwing athletes, with separated medial epicondyles having the largest surface area. Further studies and follow-up are needed to determine the prognostic value and clinical significance of these morphological variations.
In children with delayed presentation of displaced supracondylar fractures, closed or open reduction with K-wire fixation risks complications. Gradually reducing the fracture with traction potentially reduces these risks. An unacceptable deformity can be corrected later by an osteotomy. This concept was used for 28 children, with an average age of 7 years 6 months, who presented after an average delay of 5.6 days. Their stay in the hospital was 14 days on average. At followup (average, 24 months), five children (18%) who had cubitus varus greater than 10 degrees had corrective osteotomy. There were no additional neurovascular injuries after treatment. The results are comparable with other methods of treatment.
AIM: To study the outcome of gradual reduction by skin traction of supracondylar fracture of the humerus in children with swollen elbow, who seek treatment two days or longer after the injury.
METHOD: Fifteen children aged between 4 and 11 years (average 7 years 11 months), who had initially consulted a traditional practitioner, reported between 2 and 21 days (average 7.5) after the injury were treated by skin traction with the elbow kept straight and the forearm in position of comfort.
RESULTS: The average duration of stay in hospital was 14 days. All fractures healed; there was no incidence of myositis ossificans or neurovascular deficit. All patients had functional range of movements at the elbow within 6 months. Five patients developed cubitus varus deformity greater than 5 degrees, they were classified as poor result. Four out of these 5 patients had sought treatment after a delay of 7 days or longer. There were 9 good (60%), 1 fair (7%) and 5 poor (33%) results.
CONCLUSION: Gradual reduction by skin traction is safe. It is possible to achieve satisfactory reduction if the delay is up to 7 days. The results with regards to deformity and function were comparable with those obtained following open or closed Kirschner wire fixation.
To conduct a prospective randomised controlled study to compare the stability and risk of nerve injury between fractures treated by medial-lateral pin fixation and those treated by 2-lateral pin fixation.