The use of the pavlik harness has been described for infants; Femur fractures account for 1.4% to 1.7% of all pediatric fractures.
Closed Reduction and Spica Casting of Femur Fractures ... from musculoskeletalkey.com
Pavlik harness is a brace that is commonly used for babies who have hip dysplasia, a hip disorder. The purpose of the harness is to keep the hips and knees bent (flexed) and thighs spread apart (abducted). There is a strong association between bisphosphonate usage and the development of affs, increasing in incidence with longer durations of bisphosphonate usage.
It is most often used for treating infants with developmental dysplasia of the hip (ddh).
The pavlik™ harness is a device with a set of soft straps that hold a baby's legs apart with the knees bent. Read about femoral fractures, and bone fractures affecting the femur on out femoral fractures page. Fourteen patients with 16 femur fractures sustained between birth and 18 months of age were treated with a pavlik harness rather than traditional casting methods. The harness was well tolerated by the patient and family. It is usually used for babies with hip dysplasia but it can also be used to treat femur fractures (broken thigh bones) in babies under 6 months. Fractures of the shaft of the femur are best treated with a pavlik harness in the young infant. Treatment of pediatric diaphyseal femur fractures. Pavlik harness is a dynamic flexion abduction orthosis used to treat ddh in infants up to 6 months of age. Pediatric femoral shaft fractures are one of the most common pediatric orthopedic fractures and are the most common reason for pediatric hospitalization due to orthopedic injury. Sometimes, it is also used for babies with a femur fracture. Limited evidence supports treatment with a pavlik harness or a spica cast for infants six months and younger with a diaphyseal femur fracture, because their outcomes are similar. These femur fractures occur near the knee, and are often near or through the growth plate. The use of the pavlik harness has been described for infants; The pavlik harness is a soft splint. Pavlik harness for femur fracture what is a pavlik harness? Atypical femur fractures (affs) are the result of an uncommon stress reaction developing in the lateral cortex of the femoral shaft. It is most often used for treating infants with developmental dysplasia of the hip (ddh).
