[Femoral shaft fractures in childhood. 25-year experience using Weber's table].

: 25 years ago a new type of skeleton traction was introduced by B.G. Weber (Webertisch), allowing easy control and reduction in all planes of the fragments of femoral shaft fractures in children. Since 1961 329 shaft fractures were treated at our hospital; 215 by the Webertisch method, 33 with other types of traction and 81 needed to be operated on. From 1961 through 1973 the number of Webertisch treatments was higher than in the period from 1974-1987 (182 resp. 147); but in the second period there were more children with complex and severe injuries and more children older than 10 years needed to be operated on. The method proved to be save and easy to handle and no modifications took place.