[Epidemiological and lesion aspects of hand fractures in children in the Pediatric Surgery department of the Aristide Le Dantec Hospital in Dakar].

Purpose: Report the epidemiological and lesion aspects of hand bone fractures in children.

Patients and method: We did a retrospective and descriptive study over a 10-year period. This study involved 222 childre nunder the age of 16 with 261 fracture cases. The parameters studied were frequency, age, sex, mechanism, circumstances of fracture, consultation time, data from standard physical examination and x-ray of the hand, and associated lesions.

Results: Hand bone fractures accounted for 6.4% of all fractures in children in our service. The average age of the children was 8.5 years with a standard deviation of 4. There was a male predominance with a sex ratio of 2. Domestic accidents led the way with 44.3% of cases. They were followed by playful accidents with 33.94% of cases. Receiving heavy objects and fallingwith hand reception were the most common mechanisms. 62.8% of patients consulted within the first 24 hours. All fractures were in the metacarpals and phalanxes with 31% and 69% of cases, respectively. Head and diaphysis fractures each accounted for 28.1% of cases followed by cervical fractures with 27.8%. Non-displaced fractures accounted for 65% of cases. Associated lesions were found in 10 patients.

Conclusion: Hand bone fractures are quite common. They often interest the bigchild in the decoy of a domestic or playful accident, by crushing the hand or falling with reception on the hand. Fractures of the phalanxes are the most common while those of carp are absent.