This is a retrospective study of 206 physeal fractures of the distal tibia. Isolated physeal injuries to the fibula and dislocations of the tibia or fibula without involvement of the growth plate were excluded. Variables from 199 cases relative to the diagnosis, treatment and evolution were recorded. The Salter-Harris classification was used bfor physeal fractures. The mean follow-up period was 7.73 months (range: 1.36 to 126 months), and 115 male and 84 female patients were treated. The most frequent type of fracture was type II (n = 82, 41.2%). The mean age of the patients was 12.1 ± 2.6 years. The most frequent cause of injury was accident. In 121 cases (60.8%) the injury was treated conservatively. The results were evaluated in terms of subsequent complications. In 169 cases (90.7%) the results were satisfactory, and in only 17 cases (9.3%) the results were poor as a consequence of misalignment of the axes (5 or more degrees) and/or shortening (1 cm or more). Misalignment was found in 9 cases (12%) of type II, 4 cases (10.8%) of type III, 1 case (4 %) of type IV and 3 cases (100%) of type V. The correlation between the degree of reduction obtained and the appearance of isalignment was statistically significant only in the cases of type II fracture. The appearance of growth disturbance in type III and type IV fractures is usually of minor clinical importance because it occurs in patients whose cartilage is at an advanced stage of closure, unlike type II fractures, which may be associated with type V injuries. In these cases reduction must be performed with special care in order to avoid growth disturbance.

This is a retrospective study of 206 physeal fractures of the distal tibia. Isolated physeal injuries to the fibula and dislocations of the tibia or fibula without involvement of the growth plate were excluded. Variables from 199 cases relative to the diagnosis, treatment and evolution were recorded. The Salter-Harris classification was used bfor physeal fractures. The mean follow-up period was 7.73 months (range: 1.36 to 126 months), and 115 male and 84 female patients were treated. The most frequent type of fracture was type II (n = 82, 41.2%). The mean age of the patients was 12.1 ± 2.6 years. The most frequent cause of injury was accident. In 121 cases (60.8%) the injury was treated conservatively. The results were evaluated in terms of subsequent complications. In 169 cases (90.7%) the results were satisfactory, and in only 17 cases (9.3%) the results were poor as a consequence of misalignment of the axes (5 or more degrees) and/or shortening (1 cm or more). Misalignment was found in 9 cases (12%) of type II, 4 cases (10.8%) of type III, 1 case (4 %) of type IV and 3 cases (100%) of type V. The correlation between the degree of reduction obtained and the appearance of isalignment was statistically significant only in the cases of type II fracture. The appearance of growth disturbance in type III and type IV fractures is usually of minor clinical importance because it occurs in patients whose cartilage is at an advanced stage of closure, unlike type II fractures, which may be associated with type V injuries. In these cases reduction must be performed with special care in order to avoid growth disturbance.