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A fracture is a broken bone. Some fractures are caused by trauma, while others are caused by overuse.
Learn more about OIC’s expert pediatric fracture care at the Ahmanson Foundation Fracture Center.
There are a number of reasons why a fracture may occur. Some common ones include:
Common symptoms related to fractures are:
There are many different types of fractures including:
To determine if your child has a fracture, our specialists may order imaging tests such as an X-ray, MRI, ultrasound or computed tomography.
Other tests might be used, too, like flexibility tests, stress tests, muscle tests and gait analysis. These additional tests will help our specialized team better understand your child’s condition, assess range of motion and identify abnormalities that might occur in bone alignment or muscle function.
Treatment
Possible non-surgical treatments your doctor may offer or recommend to treat your child’s fracture include:
Common at-home treatment options for fractures include:
After your child has had an injury like a fracture, it’s normal to want to know how long the injury will take to heal and what you can expect.
Every child is unique, every injury is different. Your doctor will be able to give you guidelines as to when your child may be able to return to play, but in general the healing time for a fracture can be several weeks to several months depending on the location and severity of the injury and whether surgery is needed. It’s important to keep in mind that there is no way to speed up the process and trying to do so may make matters worse, and could make your child’s recovery take even longer.
The best thing you can do for your child is to make sure you consistently follow your doctor’s instructions, including doing at-home exercises regularly. When it is okay to do so, our doctors and staff will let you know when your child can return to play at a controlled level.
We provide exceptional care to patients and their families, putting children in the best hands for successful diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation.