1. Bend It Like a Twig
A greenstick fracture is an incomplete break in a child's bone. Children's bones are more pliable than adults', so they can easily bend, causing a break on just one side of the bone. It gets its name from green sticks of wood or young branches on a plant. Most greenstick fractures occur on the arm.
2. A Broken Branch
The area may appear swollen and be painful to touch. If your child's limb cannot withstand weight being applied to it, and/or she can't move the weight at all, then this should indicate a fracture and not a sprain. There may have been a grinding sound at the time of injury, and the area may look slightly deformed.
3. Get an X-ray
Take your child to the doctor to confirm if the limb is broken. X-rays are tricky because the bone and the break may not show clearly due to the softness of the bone. The doctor can x-ray the other limb and then compare the two x-rays for any differences. Other than x-rays, a CT scan can show the limb in greater detail. A CT scan looks at the bones both vertically and horizontally. An ultrasound is another diagnostic tool. The ultrasound uses sound waves to create a visual image of the bone.
4. Hold Still
The treatment plan takes into account your child's medical history, age, severity of the fracture and your input as their parent. The doctor may break the bone through and through or maneuver the bone back into place. A cast or splint keeps the limb still so the bone can heal without further injury. Children's fractures heal more quickly than adults' do. He may be required to wear the cast for 3 to 6 weeks. Remember to keep the cast dry if it and its lining aren't water resistant.
5. Calcium Does a Body Good
Exercise supervision and proper care to prevent greenstick fractures in children. Get them outside to play and move around when it's warm and find indoor activities in the winter to help build strong bones. Your child should wear a helmet, elbow pads and kneepads when bike riding, skating or playing sports. She should drink milk and eat other dairy products to increase calcium stores. Make sure she wears a seatbelt or uses a car seat while riding in the car. Stair gates prevent toddlers from tumbles on the stairs.
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