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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffIf your child is injured, you may go straight to an emergency room or urgent care clinic. Depending on the severity of the break, the doctor who first examines your child may recommend a consultation with a pediatric orthopedic surgeon.
What you can do
To prepare for your conversation with the doctor, you may want to write a quick list that includes:
- Your child's symptoms
- How the injury occurred
- Your child's key medical information, including any other medical problems and the names of all medications and vitamins he or she takes
- The sports or recreational activities in which your child regularly participates
- Questions you want to ask the doctor
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor may ask:
- How did the injury happen?
- Where does it hurt?
- How much does it hurt?
- Does anything relieve the pain?
- Was there any pain in the affected area before the injury, such as during sports or recreational activity?
- What concerns do you have about your child's return to sports or play?
- Have there been previous fractures?
During the physical exam, your doctor will inspect the affected area for tenderness, swelling, deformity or an open wound.
References
- 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.
- 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§ionEid=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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Sept. 1, 2010.
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