What is a Type III fracture?
Type III: an open segmental fracture or a single fracture with extensive soft-tissue injury. Also included are injuries older than eight hours. Type III injuries are subdivided into three types: Type IIIA: adequate soft-tissue coverage of the fracture despite high-energy trauma or extensive laceration or skin flaps.
How do you know when a fracture is healed?
When you touch the fractured area, the pain will lessen as the fracture gets more solid. So, one way to tell if the broken bone is healed is for the doctor to examine you – if the bone doesn’t hurt when he touches it, and it’s been about six weeks since you broke it, the bone is most likely healed.
Where do Salter-Harris fractures occur?
A Salter-Harris fracture is a fracture in the growth plate of a child’s bone. A growth plate is a layer of growing tissue close to the ends of a child’s bone. It’s very important to get this condition diagnosed since it can affect a child’s growth.
How long does it take for a Salter-Harris Type 3 fracture to heal?
Usually, these fractures heal in four to six weeks. The length of time the injury remains immobilized in a cast or sling depends on the particular injury. Your child may need crutches to get around, if the injured limb shouldn’t be weight-bearing while it’s healing.
Why do fractures hurt more at night?
During the night, there is a drop in the stress hormone cortisol which has an anti-inflammatory response. There is less inflammation, less healing, so the damage to bone due to the above conditions accelerates in the night, with pain as the side-effect.
What is a Salter-Harris type 3 fracture?
Salter-Harris fractures are injuries where a fracture of the metaphysis or epiphysis extends through the physis. Not all fractures that extend to the growth plate are Salter-Harris fractures. 6.5-8% of physeal fractures will be a Salter-Harris type III seen more often at the distal tibia and distal phalanx 2.
What is a Salter Harris fracture in children?
A type II Salter-Harris fracture is the most common pediatric physeal fracture, occurring frequently in children over 10 years of age. This fracture breaks at an angle, cutting through most of the growth plate and the metaphysis, the area above the growth plate.
Does a Salter-Harris fracture affect bone growth?
This can happen at any age, and it may affect bone growth. This uncommon fracture occurs when the growth plate is crushed or compressed. The knee and ankle are most often involved. Fewer than 1 percent of Salter-Harris fractures are type 5. It’s often misdiagnosed, and the damage can interfere with bone growth.
How is a type 5 Salter-Harris fracture diagnosed?
An ultrasound may be useful for imaging in an infant. Type 5 fractures are difficult to diagnose. A widening of the growth plate may provide a clue to this type of injury. Treatment will depend on the type of Salter-Harris fracture, the bone involved, and whether the child has any additional injuries.