Pediatric Fractures Treated by a Compassionate Specialists in Arlington, VA
Most fractures occur when a bone sustains more force than it can absorb. For instance, broken bones often result from falls, car accidents and direct blows. While these injuries are very common among both adults and children, pediatric fractures are best treated by a specialist who has the necessary training and experience to properly evaluate and address broken bones in children whose bodies are still growing.
Specialist Care for Pediatric Patients
At Nirschl Orthopaedic Center in Arlington, Virginia, we are board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons who specializes in treating pediatric injuries.s
Young Bones Are Still Developing
Children’s bones have growth plates, which are areas of active, new bone growth that are weaker than solid bone. Without proper treatment, a fracture that affects a growth plate may alter the development of the bone, causing it to grow crooked or ultimately become longer or shorter than it should.
Young Bones Are Very Flexible
Children’s bones often bend but do not break. For this reason, certain injuries such as greenstick fractures and buckle fractures – in which bones break or buckle on one side but do not completely separate – occur almost exclusively in the pediatric population.
Young Bones Heal Relatively Quickly
The healing time for a fracture is generally measured in weeks for children as compared to months for adults. For example, a broken thigh bone in a child may heal with a few weeks of immobilization in a large cast, while the same injury in an adult may require surgical treatment to realign and stabilize the fracture followed by several months of rehabilitation.
Common Pediatric Fractures
Nirschl Orthopaedic treats many types of broken bones that are particularly common among children and teenagers, including fractures of the collar bone, elbow, forearm (radius and ulna) wrist, hand, lower leg (tibia and fibula), ankle and foot.
If you suspect that your child has a broken bone, contact Nirschl Orthopaedic Center to request a consultation. Children aren’t always able to articulate what is bothering them, answer medical questions or otherwise cooperate fully during a medical examination. We will put your child at ease and provide complete, compassionate pediatric care to help him or her heal quickly, properly and fully.