Paediatric Trauma Flashcards
Describe risk factors for fractures in children?
- Boys 60% Girls 40%
- Age
- Previous fracture
- Metabolic bone disease
- Season
What are the principles of childrens fractures?
-
Heal quickly
- Metabolically active periosteum
- Cellular bone
- Good blood supply
- Due to this
- Fixation not usually required
- Do not over immobilise
- Do not over treat
-
Most fractures need simple treatment
- Conservative treatment
- Cast
- Braces
- Splints
- Traction
- When operative treatment is required
- External fixation
- Monolateral or circular
- Internal fixation
- IM nail – rigid or elastic
- Plate fixation
- External fixation
- Conservative treatment
- Remodel well in plane of joint movement
-
Reduction as treatment
- Increase deformity to reduce fracture
- Bones need bent cast to give straight limb (periosteum tension)
-
Supplement the cast with fixation when
- Severe swelling likely
- Need to re-inspect wound (such as open fractures)
- Multiple injuries
- Segmental limb injuries
- Unstable fracture
Why do childrens fractures heal quickly?
- Metabolically active periosteum
- Cellular bone
- Good blood supply
How does the principle that childrens fractures heal quickly impact treatment?
- Fixation not usually required
- Do not over immobilise
- Do not over treat
What treatment is usually used for childrens fractures?
- Most fractures need simple treatment
- Conservative treatment
- Cast
- Braces
- Splints
- Traction
- When operative treatment is required
- External fixation
- Monolateral or circular
- Internal fixation
- IM nail – rigid or elastic
- Plate fixation
- External fixation
- Conservative treatment
When should the cast be supplemented with fixation?
- Severe swelling likely
- Need to re-inspect wound (such as open fractures)
- Multiple injuries
- Segmental limb injuries
- Unstable fracture
What are the 4 types of fracture in children?
- Complete fracture
- Greenstick fracture
- Buckle (torus)
- Plastic deformity
In what plane does remodelling occur in children?
Most evident in plane of joint movement:
- Appositional periosteal growth/resorption
- Differential physeal growth
In physeal fractures what does the physis act as?
Physis acts as plane of fracture
What are possible complications of physeal fractures?
- Growth arrest risk due to closeness to growth plate
- Physis weaker than ligaments
- Can result in progressive deformity
- Salter-Harris classification used to predict injuries that may affect growth
- Tells you where fracture is and not how much it is displaced
- Salter-Harris classification used to predict injuries that may affect growth
What is used to predict injuries that may affect growth?
- Salter-Harris classification used to predict injuries that may affect growth
- Tells you where fracture is and not how much it is displaced
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/372/584/213/a_image_thumb.jpg?1610237176)
Describe Salter-Harris classification?
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/372/584/215/a_image_thumb.jpg?1610237191)
What does SH classification stand for?
Saltire harris classification
Which SH grade is most common?
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/brainscape-prod/system/cm/372/584/217/a_image_thumb.png?1610237231)
What SH class has most risk of growth disturbances?
Most risk of growth disturbance is in III and IV:
- Or if in femur, even if SH I injury
What is the apophysis?
Apophysis is where tendon inserts into bone