Maja Divjakoviã and Aleksandra Mikov, Faculty of Medicine Novi Sad, Institute for Children and Youth Health Care of Vojvodina, Clinic for Children Habilitation and Rehabilitation Novi Sad
Abstract
Supracondylar fractures of humerus are the most frequent arm fractures in childhood.
Complications of these fractures most often take the form of elbow contractures. The aim of this
paper was to determine effects of rehabilitation treatment and characteristics of elbow
contractures. During five-year period (2005-2010), 61 patients with posttraumatic elbow
contracture were treated at the Institute for Children and Youth Health Care of Vojvodina.
Flynns three-grade scale was applied to determine the elbow mobility level, prior to treatment
and at its end. After the completed physical treatment, there is a highly statistically significant
difference in terms of increased flexion and extension of elbow (p0.0001). In 90.16% children,
the result was satisfactory upon completed physical treatment. By means of combined
application of different forms of physical therapy, treatment results of elbow contractures after
supracondylar fractures have significantly improved.
Keywords: rehabilitation, contracture, elbow, supracondylar fracture, children
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