Pediatric Fracture Care

Children and teens often experience fractures due to traumas that occur in the course of normal play or participating in a sport, and the age group most likely to experience them tends to be adolescents. While the arm and wrist are among the parts of kids’ bodies that are most often subjected to a break, all fractures and suspected fractures should be cared for by a trained physician to avoid causing further injury to tendons, joints and muscles. Call 911 if your child has experienced a serious injury involving the neck, head or spine, and also if any broken bone penetrates through the skin. For other fractures and suspected fractures, you should immobilize the area with a splint, apply a cold compress to reduce inflammation and then seek prompt medical care. Many children experience incomplete fractures, where one side of their bone bends instead of breaks because it is relatively soft. These type of fractures are called buckle fractures or “greenstick” fractures. Depending on what type of fracture your child has, your physician may treat it with a splint or cast. For complex fractures, your child may require a surgical procedure called an “open reduction,” where pins and other instrumentation are employed to help stabilize the bones and allow them to heal.