Fractures in Children
Sydney hand and wrist fracture doctor
When more force is applied to a bone than it can absorb, this causes the bone to break. A broken bone is also known as a fracture. People of any age can potentially experience a bone fracture, from young children to seniors.
There are particular considerations for fractures in children. Proper medical care after a fracture can have a major impact on the child’s function over the many years to come. It’s important to know how to care for a fracture in a child, to help protect their future ability to function.
What are the symptoms of fractures in children?
In children, fractures most commonly occur in the wrist, forearm, and elbow. Dr. Sungaran is an expert in the treatment of this part of the body.
When a child has a fracture, there can be a variety of symptoms, including:
- Swelling or bruising
- Pain, which is usually severe
- Difficulty moving the affected area
- A limb that seems misshapen or out of place
- Numbness or tingling in the affected area
These symptoms are very similar to those of a soft tissue injury (such as a sprain). It’s not always easy to tell from the symptoms whether a child has a fracture or another type of injury. However, it’s important to make this determination accurately, in order to choose the correct treatment.
To determine whether a bone is fractured, X-rays are commonly used. Just one X-ray image might be sufficient, but in most cases, a few different images are taken from different angles. This usually allows doctors to determine whether a bone is fractured, and if so, what type of fracture it is. In some cases, other types of imaging studies, like a CT scan or MRI, might be needed to clarify the situation.
How are fractures in children different from fractures in adults?
Because children’s bones are still growing, the bone tissue in children is different from that in adults. As a result, there are a few differences between fractures in children and fractures in adults.
Growth Plate
In children, a structure called the growth plate produces new bone tissue, allowing the bone to grow and change shape. When the child reaches their full adult size (after puberty), then the growth plate will fuse, meaning that it’s replaced by mineralised bone tissue. At this point, the bones will no longer change appreciably in size or shape.
If the growth plate is damaged, then the bone may not be able to grow properly. It’s important to assess the growth plate after an injury, to ensure that it hasn’t been affected. Even if the growth plate has been injured, a cast or splint may be enough to protect it while it heals. In some cases, surgery may be necessary to realign the growth plate, so that the bone will be able to grow normally.
Bone Tissue Flexibility
In addition, children’s bone tissue is generally more flexible than that of adults. As a result, children’s bones have a greater ability to bend. This means that they’re less likely to break, but when they do break, they may do so in particular patterns that are generally not seen in adults.
For example, a greenstick fracture occurs when one side of a bone breaks, but the other side bends rather than breaking. A buckle fracture occurs when a part of a bone is compressed, rather than breaking. These types of fractures only occur in children, because of the flexibility of their bones.
How are fractures treated in children?
In a healthy child, fractured bones will generally heal well on their own. Treatment focuses on keeping the bone well-aligned, so that it will take the proper shape as it heals. If the bone isn’t held in good alignment, then it may heal in an abnormal shape. If the fractured parts of the bone are constantly being moved apart from each other by muscle movements, then it will be difficult for the bone to heal at all. It’s therefore important to hold the parts of the bone still, and in proper alignment with each other, while the healing process occurs.
In many cases, a plaster cast is used to immobilise the bone and allow healing to take place. This is generally left on for about six weeks. In some cases, a splint, which is made of softer materials, may be enough to keep the parts of the bone in good alignment with each other.
There are also some cases where surgical fixation is needed to keep the parts of the bone together. This may involve inserting plates or screws to hold the parts of the bone in place. These may sometimes be removed later, but it’s more common to leave them in place. Usually, leaving the plates or screws in place doesn’t cause any problems, and it can be damaging to remove them after the bone has healed around them.
Percutaneous pins are another possible option. These are thinner pins or wires, which are inserted through the skin into the bone to help hold it in place as it heals. A cast or splint may be placed over the pins. This type of pin is smaller than implantable surgical screws, and is not designed to integrate with the bone tissue. The pins are generally removed after two to four weeks.
How long does it take for a fracture to heal in a child?
The recovery period depends on the specific type of injury and the child’s overall health. In general, fractures in children heal faster than those in adults. Because children’s bones are still growing, they maintain a more robust blood supply than adults’ bones have. This allows them to heal more quickly.
In children, the initial process of new bone growth usually takes about four to six weeks. Younger children tend to heal faster, while older children may take a bit longer. At this point, a cast or splint will be taken off, or any percutaneous pins will be removed. However, even after this, the healing process is still not entirely complete, and it’s important to continue to be careful with the area and return to activities gradually. Within a few months, most children are able to return to all of the activities they previously enjoyed, including sports.
Sydney hand and wrist fracture doctor
If your child has experienced an injury to the wrist or hand and is having symptoms that could indicate a fracture, it’s important to seek medical care as soon as possible. It’s important to ensure that the growth plate is protected, and that the bone is well-aligned for good healing. If you wait to seek medical care and the bone begins to heal abnormally, the treatment will be more difficult later on.
Dr. Sungaran is an expert in the treatment of this area. He’s extremely well-qualified to determine whether your child has a fracture, and if so, what the best treatment plan would be. If a surgical procedure is necessary, he has the expertise needed to perform it skillfully. Your child’s future arm and hand function may depend on getting the right care for a fracture, so it’s important to make sure that it’s done properly. Please contact our office if you’d like to schedule an appointment.
