Growth Plate Injury

The growth plates are the bones which are the softer part of tissues at the ends of bones. This is how a child's growth occurs. These portions of the skeleton are the weakest in comparison to the ligaments and tendons. Since these portions of bone are very vulnerable in an injury, it will often cause fractures with a youngster. It seems that more boys receive growth plate injuries than girls. This has been reasoned since it is the girls who tend to mature quicker than boys.

These injury types need to be treated as quickly as possible. And this is especially important since it has a large bearing in how the bone will grow. If these growth plate fractures are not treated correctly, then the result could end up with a child having bones that are not straight, and will end up badly out of alignment. So having an pediatric orthopedic doctor that is very knowledgeable is a must.

The areas that have growth plates in the wrist, fingers and arms are the places most susceptible to these types of fractures.

Symptoms of a growth plate injury are (1) pain and disabled joint mobility in the injured area, (2) injured area appears out of alignment to the eye, (3) a lot of pain that doesn't stop, and, (4) pain can be severe too, and as a result, the affected body part cannot even be moved. These symptoms call for immediate attention.

Treatment will all depend upon the type of injury, which goes from a one until a five. A type one injury is the least severe, while a type five is the most severe. On an x-ray, growth plates will look like a space that is in between large bones. The reason for this is that the bones haven't matured yet and become solid. So to diagnose the problem, use of an MRI is much more clearer.

Treatment will depend on the growth plate type of injury. If the injury is just a type one or even type 2, then placing the affected limb into a cast and limiting movements, is sufficient treatment. The cast usually needs to be worn from four to six weeks.

If the fracture is at least a type three or greater where the fracture is more severe, than manipulation or surgery will have to be done to place the bones back into the proper position where they belong. In both cases, casting will be required to keep the bones set in place.

Exercises that include range-of-motion are useful and helpful for healing. Exercises will usually be a follow-up treatment once the fracture has been repaired.

Depending on the type of fracture received to the growth plate, doctors will followup closely and check the status of limbs every few months. This is to ensure that the repairs have been done well until the growing for a child stops.