[Supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children].

Supracondylar fractures of the humerus were treated in 50 children over a six-year period. Patient age ranged from 2 to 15 years; 58% of the children were between 5 and 8 years of age. Our data agreed with the literature regarding left-sided predominance, usual age at injury, greater incidence in boys, and the infrequency of open and anteriorly displaced fractures. Our data differed from the literature, however, in that we encountered nerve injury more frequently and in different patterns of distribution. The article reviews the different types of supracondylar fractures and the pitfalls that can be encountered in their care and treatment.