Usefulness and accuracy of arthrography in management of lateral humeral condyle fractures in children

The value of arthrography in children’s fractures is well established, but the accuracy of this technique has not been reported. We assessed the usefulness of arthrography by performing this test on a series of lateral humeral condyle fractures and, when possible, compared the arthrographic findings with the findings at operation to assess the accuracy of the test. Twenty-four consecutive patients were evaluated, and 13 patients underwent both arthrography and open reduction. We conclude that arthrography is a useful and accurate test when performed on children with lateral humeral condyle fractures and have provided guidelines for its use in managing this problem.