Purpose of the study: Even more so than adults, children are exposed to serious foot trauma caused by lawn mowers, bicycle spokes, or car wheels. These different mechanisms produce specific lesions to the rear foot or the toes and the dorsal aspect of the foot. Each type of lesion raises specific problems concerning emergency cover. Sequelae evolve with growth. We present a series of thirteen children given emergency treatment then long-term care over periods of six months to twenty years.

Material and results: The heel was amputated in four children (lawn mower or bicycle spoke accidents). Cover was obtained with a sural (three first-intention) neurovascular island flap with a distal pedicle. The long-term assessment evaluated function as well as residual growth of the calcaneum. Four lawn mower accidents produced lesions involving the toes and the mediotarsal area which did not require emergency flap cover. Dorsal retractions occurred in all four cases and progressed secondarily, later requiring a good quality skin flap and dorsal release. In five children lesions of the toes, forefoot, or the entire foot occurred in five children whose foot was crushed under car (or truck) wheels or was injured during fall from a wall. In these children, the urgent or secondary skin problems predominated in the dorsal area and required a variety of flaps.

Discussion: «Dorsal trauma» appears to have a predominant effect in children because the toe alignment during growth is directly dependent on the flexibility of the dorsal tissues. Several flaps can be used for this indication but are often difficult to achieve for the more distal areas (commissures and toes). Heel reconstruction is also a difficult challenge with the problem of sensitivity and tissue quality. It does not resolve the problem raised by amputation of the posterior calcaneal growth nucleus.

Introduction: The aim of the study is to assess the complication rate in lengthening of the femur and to analyze the main factors inducing complications.

Materials & method: A retrospective study of 151 cases of lengthening with different methods (External Fixator of Judet 9, Callotasy with Orthofix :89, Ilizarov 9, External Fixator of Wagner 9, Lengthening Albizzia Nail 29) was investigated. The mean age was 13, 21 years (ET : 4,82, max : 38, min : 4). The aetiologies of femoral length discrepancy were congenital in 85 cases, post traumatic in 30, Post infectious in 22 and neurologic in 13 cases. One girl had Still’s Disease. The mean elongation was 55,17mm (ET : 17,3, Max ; 130, min : 20) except with the Ilizarov method with a mean lengthening of 91,8 mm. The mean percentage of elongation was 21 %

Classification of the Complications was in three grades :

- I : Benign complication without any unexpected surgery or anaesthesia

The complications were recorded in four periods: surgery, elongation, consolidation and late complications

Results: There were 151 complications (78 Grade I, 59 grade III, 14 grade III). There were only three complications during first surgical procedure, 95 during elongation 49 during consolidation and 4 late complications. Analysis of the different pathologies shows that the rate of complications is the same for each etiology (around 100%) but the rate of complications of grade 2 and 3 shows a significant difference with a higher rate for neurological and congenital aetiologies. Benign complications are found in the post infection group. Analysis of the different methods used shows the same rate of complications in benign conditions except for the Albizzia Nail with a significant lower rate. Complications of grade 2 are seen in the ancient Judet method and in the Albizzia Nail due to the multiple general anaesthesia . Complications of grade 3 are seen in the Wagner method due to a high rate of congenital pathology and to a mean lengthening of 35 % of femoral initial length.

Articular complications do not show any significant difference between the different methods. The main complications are seen in neurological and post infectious diseases. The mean percentage of lengthening in these complications is not different of the mean percentage of the series.

Conclusion: Lengthening of the femur is still a difficult problem with a mean rate of complications of 100 % The type of method used is not the main determinant in the appearance of these complications. We want to emphazise the difficulties in performing lengthenings in neurological and congenital pathologies.

Purpose: Tillaux fractures correspond to type III joint fractures involving the anterolateral tubercle of the inferior tibia in the Salter and Harris classification. These fractures generally occur by external rotation in children about 13 years old at the time the medial part of inferior growth cartilage of the tibial epiphysis has fused. The purpose of the present study was to analyse long-term outcome in a retrospective series of twenty children.

Material and methods: All twenty patients underwent physical examination and a standard radiographic work-up at last follow-up. Results were classed into three categories: good (free of pain, stiffness, gait impairment, joint degeneration), faire (moderate pain and/or stiffness and/or gait impairment without joint degeneration), poor (severe pain and/or severe stiffness and/or limping and/or joint degeneration).

Results: This series included eight boys and twelve girls, mean age 12.8 years (range 3.4 – 14.9). Mean follow-up was three years eleven months (range 12 months – 8 years 9 months). Eleven patients underwent surgical treatment and nine orthopaedic treatment. The lateral segment of the growth cartilage was open in all cases but the medial segment was open in two and completely closed in six. A computed tomography scan was required in one patient to assess displacement. Outcome was considered good in eighteen patients and fair in two. These two patients had persistent pain without functional impairment at about one year follow-up.

Discussion: Overall, the long-term outcome is good for Tillaux fractures if they are correctly identified and evaluated, with computed tomography if necessary, to enable appropriate surgical or orthopaedic treatment. Inappropriate management of this joint fracture can lead to joint incongruency and secondary degeneration. Most of these fractures occur in adolescents and secondary growth impairment is negligible. This type of fracture may also occur in adults. Prognosis is excellent with adapted treatment.