The human skeleton takes decades to fully mature. Until then, a child’s bones differ from an adult in several ways. Like young tree branches, which bend before they snap, a child’s softer and more flexible bones are less likely to break clean through. Instead, they often crack on one side, while the other side remains intact.
A greenstick fracture is a type of bone fracture, or broken bone, that is found in children typically under the age of 10. It occurs when the bone bends enough to crack on one side, like a tree branch under pressure. Greenstick fractures get their name from the way they resemble a broken twig in X-ray imaging.
A Common Childhood Injury
When young children fall as they play and explore, they tend to cushion their falls with their arm. This leads to forearm, wrist fractures, and greenstick fractures, among other injuries. When a greenstick fracture occurs, the most common reason is because a child was trying to stop a fall. Most greenstick fractures occur in children younger than 10, since their bones are still flexible and softer. They typically affect long bones, including those located in the arm.
Recognizing the Signs of a Greenstick Fracture
If your child experiences a greenstick fracture, they might tell you the affected body part hurts, especially if you touch it. However, pain isn’t the only symptom associated with greenstick fractures. Additional symptoms may include:
- Bruising
- Swelling
- Tenderness
- Deformity in the injured area, such as crookedness in the arm
- Reduced range of motion or willingness to move the injured area
Diagnosis and Treatment
It is important to seek medical treatment for your child, if you suspect they might have a fracture. A pediatric orthopedic specialist will ask questions about how the injury occurred and what symptoms your child is experiencing.
Scottish Rite for Children treats patients with suspected and confirmed fractures. Our Fracture Clinic offers walk-in and scheduled appointments.
Your pediatric orthopedic specialist will look for signs of a fracture. This includes gently touching the injured area or asking your child to move it to check for pain and limited range of motion. Your child may get an X-ray, so the orthopedic specialist can confirm whether the injury is a greenstick fracture or another type of injury.
If a fracture is confirmed, your child will need to rest their arm to allow the bone to heal. The pediatric orthopedic specialist may require them to wear a cast, or a splint in some cases. Typically, greenstick fractures take approximately six weeks to heal, which will allow the cast to be removed.
Children’s vs. Adults’ Bones: How Fractures Differ by Age
Although it is uncommon, adults can experience greenstick fractures. However, the main reason that adults don’t is due to how bones change with age.
Children have growth plates made of flexible cartilage at the end of their bones. Bones continue to develop and reach their full density by a person’s mid-20s, becoming stiffer than they were in childhood. As a result, fractures in adults tend to be more severe.
Both children and adults can experience complete fractures, which is when the bone breaks completely. However, a child’s bone is more likely to bend before breaking, while an adult’s bone is more likely to break outright.
Treatment is also more complex in adults. There are additional risk factors that are more commonly found in adults, such as higher body weights. Bone-weakening conditions, such as osteoporosis, can increase an adult’s risk to fractures.
Want to know where to go if your child experiences a broken bone? If your child has a confirmed fracture after visiting an urgent care or emergency room, please bring your child’s X-rays to Scottish Rite for Children’s Fracture Clinic for help. For suspected fractures, call 469-515-7200 to schedule an appointment at the Fracture Clinic.
