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Aims. Cubitusvarus is the most common late complication of a supracondylar
fracture of the humerus in children. Correction can be performed
using one of a number of techniques of osteotomy but each has disadvantages.
We describe a new technique for correcting post-traumatic cubitus
varus using a lateral closing wedge isosceles triangular osteotomy. Patients and Methods. A lateral closing wedge isosceles triangular osteotomy was performed
in 25 patients (15 male and ten female with a mean age of 9.5 years
(6 to 12)) between May 2010 and April 2013. All patients had cubitus
varus secondary to malunion of a supracondylar fracture, with good
function of the elbow and a full range of movement. The osteotomy
lines were marked on the bone with an isosceles triangular template
made before surgery, after which the osteotomy was performed leaving
the medial cortex intact. Fixation was performed using two lateral
2 mm Kirschner (K)-wires and patients were immobilised in an above-elbow
plaster. By six to eight weeks callus was present and the wires
and cast were removed. Patients were reviewed at four and six weeks,
three, six and 12 months and then every two years until skeletal
maturity. Clinical and radiographic outcomes were categorised as excellent,
good or poor. Results. A total of 23 patients had an excellent and two had a good outcome
at a mean final follow-up of 3.4 years (two to four). The mean post-operative
carrying angle in the corrected elbow was 11.7° (7° to 18°). One
patient fell, displacing the osteotomy, and needed revision of the
fixation. No patient had a nerve injury. Conclusion. A lateral isosceles triangular osteotomy and with K-wire fixation
is a practical, effective, reliable, safe and simple method of correcting
post-traumatic cubitus varus in children. It has inherent stability
and excellent cosmesis without prominence of the lateral condyle. . Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B:1521–5