ABSTRACT
IMPORTANCE: Lateral ankle injuries without radiographic evidence of a fracture are a common pediatric injury. These children are often presumed to have a Salter-Harris type I fracture of the distal fibula (SH1DF) and managed with immobilization and orthopedic follow-up. However, previous small studies suggest that these injuries may represent ankle sprains rather than growth plate fractures. OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of SH1DF using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and compare the functional recovery of children with fractures identified by MRI vs those with isolated ligament injuries. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A prospective cohort study was conducted between September 2012 and August 2014 at 2 tertiary care pediatric emergency departments. We screened 271 skeletally immature children aged 5 to 12 years with a clinically suspected SH1DF; 170 were eligible and 140 consented to participate. INTERVENTIONS: Children underwent MRI of both ankles within 1 week of injury. Children were managed with a removable brace and allowed to return to activities as tolerated. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The proportion with MRI-confirmed SH1DF. A secondary outcome included the Activity Scale for Kids score at 1 month. RESULTS: Of the 135 children who underwent ankle MRI, 4 (3.0%; 95% CI, 0.1%-5.9%) demonstrated MRI-confirmed SH1DF, and 2 of these were partial growth plate injuries. Also, 108 children (80.0%) had ligament injuries and 27 (22.0%) had isolated bone contusions. Of the 108 ligament injuries, 73 (67.6%) were intermediate to high-grade injuries, 38 of which were associated with radiographically occult fibular avulsion fractures. At 1 month, the mean (SD) Activity Scale for Kids score of children with MRI-detected fibular fractures (82.0% [17.2%]) was not significantly different from those without fractures (85.8% [12.5%]) (mean difference, -3.8%; 95% CI, -1.7% to 9.2%). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Salter-Harris I fractures of the distal fibula are rare in children with radiograph fracture-negative lateral ankle injuries. These children most commonly have ligament injuries (sprains), sometimes associated with radiographically occult avulsion fractures. Children with fractures detectable only by MRI had a comparable recovery with those with sprains when treated with a removable ankle brace and self-regulated return to activities. This work has the potential to simplify the care of these common injuries, safely minimizing the inconveniences and costs of overtreatment.
Subject(s)
Ankle Injuries/complications , Ankle Injuries/therapy , Braces , Fibula/injuries , Fractures, Bone/diagnosis , Salter-Harris Fractures , Sprains and Strains/diagnosis , Activities of Daily Living , Child , Child, Preschool , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Fractures, Bone/etiology , Fractures, Bone/therapy , Humans , Injury Severity Score , Lateral Ligament, Ankle/injuries , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Prospective Studies , Sprains and Strains/etiology , Sprains and Strains/therapy , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Wrist buckle fractures are a frequent reason for emergency department visits. Although textbooks recommend 2 to 4 weeks of immobilization in a short arm cast, management varies. Treatment with both casts and splints is common, and length of immobilization varies. The objective was to determine if children with distal radius and/or ulna buckle fractures treated with a removable splint have better physical functioning than those treated with a short arm cast for 3 weeks. METHODS: This was a randomized, controlled trial in the emergency department of an academic, tertiary care children's hospital. Participants were children 6 to 15 years of age with distal radius and/or ulna buckle fractures who were randomly assigned to treatment with a short arm cast for 3 weeks or a removable splint. Cast removal was at 3 weeks. A validated self-reported outcome tool, the Activities Scales for Kids performance version (ASKp), was used to measure physical functioning over a 4-week period. The main outcome was the ASKp score at 14 days postinjury. RESULTS: We randomly assigned 113 patients, and 87 were included in the final analysis: 42 in the splint group and 45 in the cast group. Study groups were similar in age, gender, bone fractured, and dominant hand injured. There were significant differences in ASKp score at day 14 and change in ASKp from baseline at days 14 and 20, indicating better functioning in the splint group. Splinted children had less difficulty with bathing throughout the entire study. There were no significant differences in pain between groups as measured by visual analog scale. There were no refractures. CONCLUSIONS: Children treated with removable splinting have better physical functioning and less difficulty with activities than those treated with a cast.
