A fracture is a partial or complete break in the bone. The pediatric orthopedic surgeons at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis provide expert fracture care.

Fracture Clinic at Le Bonheur

The pediatric orthopedic fracture clinic is the largest clinic at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. Pediatric orthopedic surgeons and nurse practitioners evaluate patients, perform diagnostic scans and follow up with patients treated in the emergency department. Our surgeons work closely with radiology and therapy staff to provide patients with comprehensive care in one appointment.

Diagnosis

When a fracture occurs, a child may experience a variety of common symptoms in the injured area, including:

• pain
• swelling
• obvious deformity
• difficulty using or moving the injured area in a normal manner
• warmth, bruising or redness

To determine if there is a fracture, a child may undergo one or more of the following diagnostic procures:

• X-rays - a diagnostic test which uses invisible electromagnetic energy beams to produce images of internal tissues, bones, and organs onto film.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - a diagnostic procedure that uses a combination of large magnets, radiofrequencies and a computer to produce detailed images of organs and structures within the body.
• Computed Tomography Scan (Also called a CT or CAT scan.) - a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of x-rays and computer technology to produce cross-sectional images (often called slices), both horizontally and vertically, of the body. A CT scan shows detailed images of any part of the body, including the bones, muscles, fat, and organs. CT scans are more detailed than general X-rays.

Fracture Treatment

Once it is determined that the bone is fractured, the goal of treatment is to control the pain, promote healing, prevent complications, and restore normal use of the fractured area. Treatment may include:

• splint/cast - immobilizes the injured area to promote bone alignment and healing to protect the injured area from motion or use
• medication (for pain control)
• traction - the application of a force to stretch certain parts of the body in a specific direction. Traction consists or pulleys, strings, weights, and a metal frame attached over or on the bed. The purpose of traction is to stretch the muscles and tendons around the broken bone to allow the bone ends to align and heal.
• surgery - required to put certain types of broken bones back into place. Occasionally, internal fixation (metal rods or pins located inside the bone) or external fixation devices (metal rods or pins located outside of the body) are used to hold the bone fragments in place to allow alignment and healing.

Choose Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital to Treat Pediatric Fractures.

Le Bonheur Children’s specializes in clubfoot and has more pediatric orthopedic surgeons and specialists than any other orthopedic practice in the mid South. Our pediatric orthopedic specialists are board certified and fellowship trained in pediatric orthopedics, which means that your pediatric orthopedic surgeon is exceptionally well-trained and meets nationally established standards of care. Children from across the United States with fractures visit Le Bonheur Children’s each year to be treated here.