comprehensive analysis of pediatric elbow injuries: a cross-sectional descriptive study investigating frequency, fracture types, and treatment methods

Background: elbow fractures are among the most common injuries in children. while elbow fractures are rarely life-threatening, their significance lies in potential complications. therefore, accurate and timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment are essential for elbow fractures. identifying the frequency of pediatric visits with elbow injuries, categorized by fracture type and treatment method, is necessary for optimizing treatment planning.objectives: this study addresses the knowledge gap regarding pediatric elbow injuries by investigating the frequency, fracture types, and treatment methods among children seeking medical attention at shafa yahyaiyan orthopedic hospital, tehran, iran.methods: this cross-sectional, descriptive study comprised children under 18 presenting to the emergency department of shafa yahyaiyan orthopedic hospital due to elbow injuries from september 20, 2020, to march 20, 2021. demographic, clinical, and radiologic variables were collected using medical records. the statistical analysis was performed using the spss software, version 22, with a significance level set at 0.05.results: a total of 507 pediatric cases with elbow injuries were analyzed, including 54% males. the average age of the cohort was 3.44±4.73 years. pulled elbow emerged as the most common injury in 52% of cases. among fractures, supracondylar humerus fractures had the highest prevalence. closed reduction was the predominant intervention, followed by casting. there was no significant association between gender and injury type (p=0.211). however, a statistically significant relationship was identified between age and injury type (p=0.0001). conclusion: this study revealed that pulled elbow and supracondylar humerus fractures were the most common injuries, with the closed reduction being the predominant treatment method. while gender did not significantly correlate with injury type, age showed a noteworthy association, indicating an increased risk with advancing age.