Treatment of fracture of the femur in children by a "cast-brace".

To investigate the suitability of the cast-braces for the management of fractured femurs in children, the author studied 50 children treated for fractured femurs. After conventional skin traction therapy for three weeks, 40 children are placed in cast-braces and ten in conventional hip-spicas. The results are compared. The advantages noted with the cast-brace are that it reduces stress at the fracture site, allows knee and hip movement and ambulation thus reducing the period of immobilization and the functional loss.