Correction by growth of rotational deformity after femoral fracture in children.

Fourteen children with femoral shaft fractures were studied for 10 years after fracture or until growth plate closure, using repeated anteversion measurements. A mean anteversion difference of 9.6 degrees between the fractured and intact sides after fracture consolidation decreased to 5.6 degrees (p less than 0.01), indicating that children have a considerable ability to correct a rotational deformity by growth, especially during the first years after fracture. It was also found that tibial pin traction results in a greater rotational deformity than does bilateral Bryant traction.