What happens when a child damages their growth plate?

Question

Dr.Brian Krabak,MD · Answer

Damage to the growth late often can occur from trauma or overuse. Now the long-term implications really depend upon the type of injury and the age of the individual. We use a classification system called the psalter Harris classification to classify fractures type one, involves a separation of the growth plate, type to a fracture line that's above the growth plate. Type 3 is a fracture line into the joint itself. Type 4 is a line that goes above and below the growth plate. Tap type 5 is a compression of that joint itself. Now type ones that's sort of like your overuse issues think gymnast wrist or literally shoulder. Those are often managed with activity modification and some bracing type 2 is the most common type of fracture. We see in the clinic these may or may not be displaced and depending upon the alignment it may have to be put back into position. These can often be managed without surgery through casting and activity modification type 3. Four and five really are more complicated, there are much rarer, which is a good thing, three and four involved. The Joint itself where five involves a growth plate and their compression. These often need an expert because they met my most likely will need surgery and need close monitoring. The second thing we talked about was the age of the individual for someone who is much younger and injury to the growth plate. Might impede their growth of that joint. So it's not uncommon for Physicians and practitioners to repeat X. I raised six months later to make sure that the joint is not fusing too early and then you have to decide the age of the individual to figure out if you need to do anything to sort of correct that. So although the injuries are a little disruptive in regards to their management for the most part growth plate, injuries do improve over time without many long-term complications or implications.

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"What happens when a child damages their growth plate?"