No abstract

A large number of children sustain fractures after relatively minor trauma and several investigators have associated these fractures to a deficient accumulation of bone during growth. This study was conducted to better characterize the skeletal phenotype associated with low-energy impact fractures of the forearm in girls. The densities of cancellous, cortical, and integral bone and the cross-sectional area were measured in the radius of 100 healthy white girls (aged 4 -15 years) using computed tomography (CT); 50 girls had never fractured and 50 girls had sustained a forearm fracture within the previous month.

In rare supracondylar fractures in children, multidirectional instability results in displacement into flexion and/or extension. This fracture can be classified as type IV according to the Gartland system, as it is less stable than a Gartland type-III extension supracondylar fracture. These fractures can be treated successfully with a new technique of closed reduction and percutaneous pinning, thus avoiding open reduction.

The incidence of back pain in early adolescence approaches that seen in adults. Recommendations for an "acceptable" weight of backpacks cannot be made from this study, as the weights of students' backpacks seem directly proportional to the likelihood of back pain. This study identifies 2 factors associated with self-reported back pain in early adolescents that are amenable to change: availability of school lockers and lighter backpacks. These findings may be useful in advising families and influencing school policies.