Transosseous osteosynthesis in the system of treating injuries of epiphyseal growth plate in children

Purpose. To evaluate the effectiveness of transosseous osteosynthesis method by Ilizarov in treatment of children with injuries of epiphyseal growth plates. Materials and Methods. The authors studied the results of treatment of 414 children with traumatic injuries of epiphyseal growth plate using transosseous osteosynthesis techniques and different configurations of the fixator. Results. Mean periods of fixation depended on fracture localization regarding epiphysis and displacement degree, and they ranged from 23 to 35 days. The damage of skin integuments increased the fixation duration by 5 days on the average. Complete weight-bearing achieved after 2-4 weeks in most cases, and final functional recovery achieved 2-3 months after injury. In the long-term period the outcome was considered as excellent in 90.2 % of patients, good one – in 1.9 %, satisfactory – in 5.94 %, and unsatisfactory – in 1.96 % of patients. Conclusion. The recovery of cartilaginous growth tissue after injury at the level of epiphyseal plate can’t be considered as good because real outcomes not always correspond to the predicted ones. Early, stable, controlled transosseous osteosynthesis using the Ilizarov fixator creates favorable conditions for recovery of the involved growth plate functions, healing of fractures and surrounding soft tissues with further recovery of limb weight-bearing function.