Pediatric orthopedics is its own specialty because children have bones that are
different from adult bones. As you might expect, treatment of broken
bones in children is also different from the way we treat broken bones
in adults. The reason for the difference in treatment is due to several
factors described below.
Bones Heal Best in Kids
Children's
bones have an amazing capacity for healing. The younger the child the
more true this fact becomes. In young, a fracture of the femur (thigh
bone) will heal easily in a large cast called a hip spica. In adults,
femur fractures almost always require surgery to realign and stabilize
the bone.
Healing time in children is usually measured in weeks,
whereas in adults most fractures take months for healing. This ability
to heal allows surgeons to treat children differently, and more often
non-operatively.
Growth Plates Matter
Children's bones
contain growth plates where new bones cells are quickly dividing. The
presence of growth plates is an important consideration as a fracture in
or around the growth plate can have significant long-term effects.
Because of this, children are watched closely by their doctor as they
heal.
Treatment of growth plate injuries should be done by a
doctor familiar with the various methods of growth plate fracture
treatment to help you determine which option is best. Treatments range
from a simple cast to surgical correction.
Bones May Bend, and Not Break
Children's
bones are more flexible, and tend to bend more without breaking. This
attribute explains the reason for finding both greenstick fractures and
buckle fractures, injuries seen almost exclusively in the pediatric
population. Greenstick fractures occur when the bone breaks on one side,
like bending a fresh tree branch, but it stays in continuity on the
bent side. A buckle fracture occurs when the bone buckles on one side,
but it is not separated.