Emergency Medicine

Question 1

Salter-Harris physeal classification

Answer 1

type 1 - “slipped”
5-7%
fracture plane passes all the way through the growth plate, not involving bone
cannot occur if the growth plate is fused cit
good prognosis

type 2 - “above”
~75% (by far the most common)
fracture passes across most of the growth plate and up through the metaphysis
good prognosis

type III - “lower”
7-10%
fracture plane passes some distance along with the growth plate and down through the epiphysis
poorer prognosis as the proliferative and reserve zones are interrupted

type IV “through or transverse or together / intra-articular”
10%
fracture plane passes directly through the metaphysis, growth plate and down through the epiphysis
poor prognosis as the proliferative and reserve zones are interrupted

type V “ruined or rammed”
uncommon <1%
crushing type injury does not displace the growth plate but damages it by direct compression
worst prognosis