What are broken bones (fractures) in children?

Also known as: bone fractures, fractures.

Broken bones, or fractures, are very common in children and adolescents, and occur when excessive force is applied to a bone. They can occur in several different ways; some fractures break the bone completely, other bones may just show a crack.

There are different types of fractures which include:

• Greenstick fracture, common in children, where the fracture is on one side of the bone and the other side bends
• Simple fracture, a stable fracture where the bones break into two pieces and stay aligned 
• Open or compound fracture, where the broken bone punctures the skin
• Closed fracture where the skin remains intact
• Transverse fracture with a horizontal fracture line
• Oblique fracture with an angled pattern
• Spiral fracture, or a comminuted fracture where the bone shatters into several pieces

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Reviewed by: Craig Spurdle, MD

This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM