[Arthroscopic treatment of tibial intercondylar eminence fracture in children].

Objective: To study clinical effects of extractable steel wire for the treatment of tibial intercondylar eminence fracture in children under arthroscopy.

Methods: From October 2008 to December 2010,21 children with intercondyloid eminence fractures were treated with fixation by extractable steel wire under arthroscopy. Among the patients, 14 patients were male and 7 patients were female,ranging in age from 7 to 14 years old with a mean of 10 years old. The period from injury to operation ranged from 3 to 8 days, with an average of 4 days. Before operation, X-ray, CT and MRI were used to determine fracture and joint injury type. Lysholm criteria were used to evaluate clinical effects.

Results: All fractures were healed. The Lysholm score improved from preoperative 30.2 +/- 4.2 to postoperative 92.8 +/- 9.1; 18 patients got an excellent result and 3 good.

Conclusion: The extractable steel wire in treatment of tibial intercondyloid eminence fractures in children under arthroscopy has advantage of economics, firm fixation, in favour of early functional exercise, decreasing the opportunity of bony avulsion of the anterior cruciate ligament and less iatrogenic injury of osteoepiphysis due to small diameter and slick steel wire.