Abstract
The treatment of supracondylar fracture of the femur remains a difficult problem because of the wide range of portential complications. In the past, authors thought conservative treatment was superior to operative treatment of supracondylar fracture of the femur. In addition, the advent of the Cast-Brace introduced the change in concept of the conservative treatment. Recently, however, the advances in the techniques and in the devices used in intemal fixation have encouraged the operative treatment. Tibiofemoral angle, gap or stepping of the articular surface of the distal femur, range of motion of the knee, and pains in the knee were used to evaluate the following results investigated by statistical study(T-test). These clinical results were shown by analyzing 49 cases of supracondylar fracture of the femur trea ted in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hallym College of Medicine, from Jan. 1980 to Dec. 1983 1. We end result of each patient was evaluated by scaled score value calculated from above mentioned criteria. 2. The mean value of the operative treatment(35 cases) was 31.03±5.52, while that of the conservative treatment(14 cases) was 27.71±4.56. 3. The mean value of the group which began the exercise of the knee joint within 2 weeks (33 cases) was 32.24±4.43. The mean value of the other group which began the exercise of the knee joint after 2 weeks(16 cases) was 25.78±4.56. This difference of means between two groups was statistically significant. Beginning the knee joint exercise within 2 weeks has large effect on the result of the treatment. 4.The results of treatment in patient over age of 50 were graded as fair irrespective of methods of treatment. 5. Various devices were used in intemal fixation but there was no difference in the results. 6. We mean value of the Tibiofemoral angle(difference from normal angle) in the operative treatment was 2.37±6.25 and that of the conservative treatment was 8.04±4.62. Both of the above method of treatment showed a varus trend, especially in the conservative treatment. In statistical study, through, there was no significance in two methods.