Growth plate fractures

Please read: Important 2013 cancer research update from Dr. Michael Camilleri

Free

E-newsletter

Subscribe to Housecall

Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.

Sign up now

Complications

By Mayo Clinic staff

Around 85 percent of growth plate fractures heal with no complications. The following factors can increase the risk of twisted or stunted bone growth.

  • Severity of the injury. If the growth plate has been shifted, shattered or crushed, the risk of limb deformity is greater. Reduced blood supply to the tip of the bone also increases this risk.
  • Age of the child. Younger children have more years of growth ahead of them, so they are at risk for a longer period of time.
  • Location of the injury. Some growth plates grow more than others. Risk increases with injuries to the growth plates that grow the most — for example, the ones around the knee.
Preparing for your appointment Risk factors
References
  1. Mathison DJ, et al. General principles of fracture management: Fracture patterns and description in children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 31, 2010.
  2. Geiderman JM, et al. Fractures. In: Marx JA, et al., eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00046-3--s0020&isbn=978-0-323-05472-0&sid=1046559067&type=bookPage&sectionEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00046-3--s0055&uniqId=216942841-3#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00046-3--s0055. Accessed Aug. 31, 2010.
  3. Moeller JL, et al. Orthopedics. In: Rakel RE. Rakel: Textbook of Family Medicine. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/216942841-3/1046540165/1481/496.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2467-5..50044-0--cesec4_2535. Accessed Aug. 31, 2010.
  4. Questions and answers about growth plate injuries. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/growth_plate/growth.htm. Accessed Aug. 31, 2010.
  5. Growth plate fractures. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_report.cfm?Thread_ID=244&topcategory=Children. Accessed Aug. 31, 2010.
  6. Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Sept. 1, 2010.
DS00816 Oct. 21, 2010

© 1998-2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

  • Reprints
  • Print

  • Share on:

  • Email

Advertisement


Text Size: smaller largerlarger