Neural injuries associated with displaced supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children are common. They may occur secondary to traction, direct trauma, or ischemia of the nerve. Our policy has been to treat these injuries(without vascular compromise) expectantly.
This article reviews cases of supracondylar fractures of the humerus with neurological deficit that were treated at Wonju Christian Hospital and evaluates the results of conseuative management and obtained from this study as follows.
1. The incidence of neurological injuries was 29 cases(18.7%) among 155 supracondylar fractures of the humerus.
2. The incidence of injury of radial norve was 17 cases(50%), injury of median nerve was 13 cases(38%)and injury of ulnar nerve was 4 cases(12%).
3. injury of radial nerve was more common in the posteromedial displacement than in the posterolateral displacement, and in the median nerve posterolateral displacement was more common than posteromedial displacement.
4. The incidence of the spontaneous neural recovery was 30 injuries(88%) and its average time was 4.6 weeks.
5. In closed reduction, the spontaneous neural recovery was average 5.2 weeks and in open reduction the average neural recovery time was 4.3 weeks.