[Traumatic epiphyseal separation of the lower end of the femur].

Forty-one children suffering from displacement of the distal femoral epiphysis were reviewed with a five year follow-up. This is a rare lesion, caused by severe trauma. It is seen at all ages, four of the cases being neonatal, but principally in adolescence, in 22 cases. The Ogden classification is preferable to the Salter-Harris classification for these fractures, which are usually in type II (39 cases). The prognosis is related to the severity of the initial displacement and to the quality of the reduction and its maintenance. Epiphysoidesis developed frequently and early, in 15 cases. It seemed to be due to an initial vascular injury rather than to mechanical compression. The results were not very satisfactory with 23 good, 11 fair and 7 bad results. It is recommended that an anatomical reduction should be maintained by percutaneous crossed pins. In adolescents aged 15 years or over, primary surgical epiphysiodesis of the whole growth cartilage seems to be a reasonable possibility.