Treatment of femoral shaft fractures with the hoffmann external fixator in prepuberty

Twenty-two children with femoral shaft fractures, between the age of 10 and 14 years, were treated with the Hoffmann external fixation apparatus from 1980 to 1985. This method of treatment is very simple. It requires less surgical exposure and allows earlier ambulation and easy nursing care. In addition, it makes patients comfortable in multiple trauma conditions. The average time to union and removal of fixators was 72 days (range, 44 to 80 days). There were no deep wound infections, nonunions, or rotationary deformities. On followup, all patients regained the range of motion of knee joints in 3 months without significant leg length discrepancy or radiographic evidence of growth disturbance. The device may serve as an alternative method for femoral shaft fractures in prepuberty, especially in areas of tropical climate.