Foot fractures in children

Some 13 % of fractures in children are in the foot. Of these fractures, 50 % involve the metatarsals and the phalanges. These are treated conservatively and do not cause therapeutic problems in general. In contrast, fractures and dislocations of the midfoot and hindfoot occur very rarely, so profound therapeutic expertise is lacking. The present paper takes stock and provides a critical assessment of the therapeutic concepts presented hitherto and new approaches to different problematic fractures. The long-term results of the literature and our own followup of dislocated intraarticular talus and calcaneus fractures which were not reduced anatomically has shown important problems in terms of pain, limited range of motion and malalignment in adolescence. In contrast to the findings in adults, no arthrosis was apparent in the radiological examinations. The findings were similar in mishealed Chopart dislocation and Lisfranc dislocation. The treatment of complex foot trauma is a multidisciplinary team approach. These challenging injuries should be treated only in centers where vascular and plastic surgeons are constantly available. The precise scientific assessment of foot fractures in children is confronted with the problem that so far too few cases have been evaluated. Rare problematic fractures (i. e. talus, calcaneus) require scientific work-up to establish a "gold standard" for operative and conservative treatment. This can only be accomplished in a multicenter study.