Abstract
Key facts • Pediatric bones are more flexible than adults, leading to unique fracture patterns such as: • Buckle fractures • Greenstick fractures • Plastic deformation • Because of the high metabolic turnover for pediatric bones, closed reduction and casting is the treatment of choice for most pediatric fractures • Transient synovitis is an inflammation of the hip joint that typically follows a viral upper respiratory infection (URI) and is characterized by hip pain and a limp • Transient synovitis is typically self-limited and treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication (NSAIDs), though excluding a bacterial infection is critical to avoid significant morbidity • Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) occurs in obese pre-pubescent children. Pain may be indolent in cases of chronic SCFE, though acute worsening of pain is seen after relatively minor trauma in some cases • SCFE presents bilaterally in a significant proportion of cases, even if only one side is symptomatic Unique features of pediatric fractures General principles • Bones in children remodel at a more rapid rate than adults, making closed reduction a viable treatment modality for many fractures that would require operative repair in adults • Bones in children are more flexible, leading to unique fracture patterns such as buckle and greenstick fractures that are not seen in adults • Injury to growth plates can result in significant morbidity Buckle fractures • Buckle or torus fractures typically occur at the metaphyseal diaphyseal junction and result from a “crumpling” of the more porous metaphysis (see Figure 7.1)
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | Orthopedic Emergencies |
Subtitle of host publication | Expert Management for the Emergency Physician |
Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
Pages | 165-177 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Volume | 9781107696617 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781139199001 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781107696617 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 2013 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine