Growth plate fractures

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Tests and diagnosis

By Mayo Clinic staff

Because growth plates haven't hardened into solid bone, they are difficult to interpret on X-rays. Sometimes, doctors ask for X-rays of both the injured limb and the opposite limb so that they can be compared. In some cases, scans that can visualize soft tissue — such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized tomography (CT) or ultrasound — may be ordered.

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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

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