What is a wrist fracture in children?
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Dr. Rachel Rohde answered:It might sound strange to define "children," but in the world of orthopedics, a "child" is someone whose skeleton has not stopped growing yet. We can tell this by X-ray because the "growth plates" still are open, meaning that there still is growth expected.
Most breaks at the wrist in children occur either as "buckle" fractures (the bone is so soft that it "buckles") or "growth plate fractures." These breaks occur through the growth plate and sometimes can't be seen on the X-ray because the growth plate itself, like a break, is a dark line.
It might sound strange to define "children," but in the world of orthopedics, a "child" is someone whose skeleton has not stopped growing yet. We can tell this by X-ray because the "growth plates" still are open, meaning that there still is growth... More
