“ FRACTURES The paediatric skeleton is more prone to fracture than an adult’s due to a greater proportion of collagen and cartilage (though ...
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FRACTURES
The paediatric skeleton is more prone to fracture than an adult’s due to a greater proportion of collagen and cartilage (though it is more elastic). The paediatric bone cortex is thicker and well vascularised, which leads to rapid healing and remodelling. Fractures of the distal radius are the most common childhood fractures.
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Torus, ‘buckle’ | Cortex buckles due to compression injury (e.g. fall on outstretched hand). Usually stable |
| Greenstick | Cortical break due to tensile force and due to angulation. The compression side of the cortex remains intact. Often unstable |
| Plastic bowing | Intact cortex. Thought to be due to longitudinal stress causing microfractures. Most commonly affects the ulna with a radial fracture |
| Physeal, ‘Salter–Harris’ | Injury to the growth plate, more common in pre-adolescents due to the level of bone growth occurring |
| Lead pipe | Characterised by a torus fracture on one side of the bone and a greenstick fracture on the other |
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