Epidemiology and Treatment Outcome of Paediatric Forearm Fractures at The Greater Accra Regional Hospital

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Objective: To investigate the epidemiology forearm fracture in the paediatric age group and its treatment outcome among patients presenting at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (GARH).Materials and Methods: Twenty-Four patients with paediatric forearm fractures presenting at the Trauma and Orthopaedic unit between November 2018 and October 2019 were prospectively followed up for six weeks; assessing re-displacement after one and 2 weeks and degree of supination and pronation at the end of the 6th week.Results: A total of 24 children were recruited in this study. The median age of presentation was 5 years with a male to female ratio of 2:1. Sixty seven percent (n=16) of the patients reported to the facility within the first 24 hours of injury. Majority of the injuries (n=22) were as a result of fall on the outstretched hand (FOOSH). The school (n=13, 59.1%) and home environments (n=7, 31.8%) were the common places of injury; other places include recreational areas and footpath. Twenty-three (95.8%) of all patterns of forearm fractures were closed, with the commonest site being the distal third (n=17, 70.8%). Conservative treatment of the fractures sufficedin 19 patients (79.2%); with re-displacement occurring in 3 patients (12.5%). The remaining 5 cases were managed operatively. Functional assessment by way of supination and pronation was excellent in all the patients with no residual deformity.Conclusion: The findings from this study point to the fact that, FOOSH occurring at the school environment is the commonest cause of forearm fractures in the paediatric age group. Conservative treatment sufficed in the majority of cases and remains a viable option ifpatients are carefully selected.

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