Paediatric lateral condyle fractures of the distal humerus

© 2018 Lateral humeral condyle fractures are the most common intra-articular fracture of the skeletally immature elbow and the second most common elbow fracture in children (approximately 16%). Inadequately treated fractures can lead to non-union and growth disturbance which results in deformity and loss of function. Controversy remains regarding the management of these fractures, as there are no randomized controlled trials of treatments and the literature consists mainly of retrospective case series. In this article, we will present the key points from the literature currently available. This includes recent articles that define the consistent fracture plane and studies that suggest the optimal imaging techniques to determine amount of displacement, which is an important factor for prognosis, unlike medial epicondyle fractures. We offer pragmatic management strategies for lateral humeral condyle fractures.