Complications and secondary treatment
Study	Surgery Secondary treatment (failure)	Surgery no.	Not‐surgery Secondary treatment (failure)	Not‐surgery no.	Comments
Complications
Colaris 2013a	5 redisplacement of fracture (2 suboptimal wire positioning; 3 redisplaced ulna) 7 subcutaneous K wires (required another operation to remove) 3 re‐fractures 2 superficial infections 1 failed insertion of K wires 1 transient neuropraxia	61	30 redisplacement of fracture 1 transient neuropraxia	67	Unit of analysis problems ‐ thus one or more children having more than one complication ‐ cannot be ruled out
Gibbons 1994	1 removal of K‐wire under general anaesthesia 1 hypertrophic scar at K‐wire insertion point	12	10 remanipulations to correct position	11	‐
McLauchlan 2002	1 early removal (at 3 days) of wire because of pain 2 prominent scar at site of wire 1 wire migration ‐ removed early 1 malunion ‐ wire had migrated; impaired range of movement at 3 months	35	14 loss in reduction (includes 7 malunion)	33	‐
Miller 2005	1 transient nerve hypaesthesia 2 pin‐site infection at 4 weeks 2 pin migrated under skin 1 extensor carpi tendonitis at 3 months	16	1 failed closed reduction 7 loss of reduction (includes 1 malunion at 4 weeks) 1 transient nerve hypaesthesia	18	‐
Secondary treatment
Colaris 2013a	1 rereduction for redisplaced fracture 7 subcutaneous K wires (required another operation to remove) 3 re‐fractures* 2 superficial infections* 1 failed insertion of K wires*	61	17 rereduction for redisplaced fracture	67	Potential unit of analysis issue ‐ thus one or more children having more than one complication requiring treatment ‐ cannot be ruled out. * Actual treatment not specified for these but can be assumed.
Gibbons 1994	1 removal of K‐wire under general anaesthesia	12	10 remanipulations to correct position	11	‐
McLauchlan 2002	1 early removal (at 3 days) of wire because of pain 1 wire removed early because of migration	35	7 corrective procedures for loss of reduction: 2 rereduction, 4 pinning, 1 cast wedged (1 malunion had corrective osteotomy at 6 months)	33	Corrective osteotomy at 6 months was not counted as follow‐up was 3 months; it restored function. All participants in the surgery group had a general anaesthetic (another operation) for routine wire removal. This was the standard hospital procedure (Edinburgh, 1997)
Miller 2005	2 pin removal (local wound care and oral antibiotics) for infection (F) 2 pin removal for migration	16	1 intramedullary fixation for failed reduction 6 procedures for loss of reduction: 4 rereduction, 1 pin fixation, 1 cast wedged	18	‐