Fractures in Children
How fractures are different in children
It seems that kids are always getting injured, and bone breaks are an especially common injury. Notably, fractures in children are handled differently than fractures in adults.
First, kids heal at a faster rate compared to adults, usually in weeks instead of months. The younger the child, the faster they tend to heal. In numerous cases, surgical intervention will be required for the same fracture in adults, while in children a cast is sufficient for proper treatment.
Children are often monitored more closely and frequently than adults because they have growth plates. When new bone cells are dividing and multiplying, growth plates form on the ends of the long bones, creating a small space that is visible on X-rays. If a fracture occurs in one of these growth plate areas, they can be serious and are monitored even more closely.
Different fractures are more common in the pediatric population compared to the adult population. Two fractures are seen almost exclusively in children: greenstick fractures and buckle fractures. Greenstick fractures occur when a bone is bent and it only breaks on one side, like breaking a healthy tree branch. Buckle fractures show a bulge from and impaction, and the break occurs on the opposite side of a greenstick fracture.
At Direct Orthopedic Care (DOC), we see children with a variety of fractures. The three most common fractures we see occur in the forearm, ankle, and elbow. Forearm fractures involve the radius or ulna. Both bones have growth plates on each end, and so it is imperative that kids are seen immediately to ensure the fracture is reduced properly. Another common fracture seen in our orthopedic clinic involves the ankle, the tibia, and the fibula. Ankle fractures are common due to twisting or pivoting injuries sustained in soccer or basketball. Finally, elbow fractures are the third-most-common fracture seen in children by DOC. The break includes the radius or ulna at the proximal end, the forearm nearest to the elbow, or humerus fractures at the distal end.
If you suspect your child has a fracture, walk-in to one of our four DOC locations in the Treasure Valley.