Background: Patella fractures in the pediatric age group often have a dilemma in their ease of diagnosis and treatment required. Indications for conservative management or surgical intervention in the pediatric population during growth phase are not clearly defined. The current systematic review aims to provide a consensus on the morphological types, treatment options, indications, the outcomes expected and complications and their management.
Methods: The review was conducted as per the PRISMA guidelines. Inclusion criteria were (a).Articles published in English, (b) Age <18 years, (c) Patellar fractures including osteochondral fractures. Exclusion criteria includes articles with incomplete data, case reports, biomechanical studies, case series with sample size <2, biomechanical studies, reviews, letter to the editor, or editorials and Non-English language.
Results: The review search yielded a total of 18 articles. A total of 288 patients with patellar fractures were included in the review. The average age ranged from 9.6 years to 16 years. The follow-up period ranged from 3 months to 20 years. In total, 49 individuals underwent immobilization with cast or brace application, 4 with spica cast application and 48 with cylindrical cast in extension. Overall, 83 patients in 13 studies underwent surgical fixation most of which underwent wiring.
Conclusion: Pediatric patella fracture/dislocations or Osteochondral fractures (OCF) although being a rare event, may be associated with a child with knee injury and swelling. Conservative management in terms of casting and immobilization may be an alternative but surgical intervention should be the primary mode of treatment in such cases.
Keywords: Conservative management; Osteochondral fracture; Pediatric patella fractures; Sleeve avulsion of patella; Surgical fixation of patella fracture.
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