Information for Patients
From the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Fractures of the radius and/or ulna are the most common long bone injuries in children. These injuries can result from simple trips and falls on an outstretched arm, but they occur most frequently as a result of higher-energy mechanisms. Fractures are classified by location, completeness, angular and rotational deformity, and fragment displacement. Most pediatric forearm fractures can and should be treated nonsurgically, with closed reduction, immobilization, and close follow-up. Surgical intervention is required for open fractures, and when acceptable reduction and alignment cannot be maintained or achieved with conservative management. Fixation may be performed percutaneously using Kirschner wires or flexible intramedullary nails, or through an open approach using plates and screws.