Overview
Post fracture recovery is the time after a fracture occurs when your child may be wearing a cast or splint to help heal the bone. A fracture is a break in a bone, which usually occurs because of blunt force due to a fall, blow, or other trauma. The kind of fracture your child has as well as the area in which the bone has been broken may determine not only the treatment but the recovery time for the injury. Fractures in children are usually grouped in the following ways.
- Open or compound. This is when a broken bone has punctured the skin and is protruding.
- Closed or simple. These kinds of fractures occur below the surface of the skin and the broken bone is not visible.
- Greenstick. The bone bends and breaks on one side. This type of fracture is more common in children than adults as their bones are less likely to break outright when twisted.
- Bend. This kind of fracture is when the bone is bent but has not broken.
- Torus. Bones with these fractures are buckled or twisted but not broken.
- Complete. A complete break of the bone has occurred. It is rare for these more severe fractures to happen to children. This is partly because children have an additional lining on their bones called the periosteum [per-ee-OS-tee-uhm] that provides extra stability.
Children tend to heal more quickly after a fracture, but your child may need to wear a cast for 4-8 weeks for a full recovery. Surgery after a pediatric fracture is rare but could occur for the following reasons.
- Damage to the growth plate of the bone
- Fractures of the hip, pelvis, elbow or femur [FEE-muhr]
- Damage to the joint
- Pathologic [puh-THOL-uh-jik] fractures
- Open fractures
After a fracture occurs, your child’s doctor will recommend an x-ray, MRI, or CT scan to diagnose the full extent of the injury and determine which method of treatment is best for your child.
Things to Know
The first 24-48 hours after your child’s fracture occurs, there will still be pain and swelling surrounding the broken bone. To ease your child’s discomfort, it may help to take the following steps.
- Keep your child comfortable and still to avoid painful movement.
- If possible, raise the fractured area above the heart to reduce swelling.
- Give pain medicine like acetaminophen [uh-see-tuh-min-uh-fuhn] or ibuprofen [ahy-byoo-proh-fuhn] as recommended by your doctor.
- Apply ice for short periods of time to reduce swelling and ease pain.
In the following days and weeks, you’ll need to help your child care for the cast and practice a few common-sense measures to speed recovery.
- Do not put anything into the cast. Even if it’s itchy, you shouldn’t try to reach inside. Some children find air blown from a hair dryer on the cold setting into the cast relieves itching.
- Keep the cast clean and dry. While many casts are waterproof to some extent, it’s best not to soak them. Use a covering in the shower and keep your child’s cast elevated out of the bath.
- Do not apply powders or lotions to the affected area.
- Encourage your child to wiggle fingers and toes to keep circulation moving in the affected area.
- Avoid activity to prevent further injury to the fracture.
Once the cast has been removed, post fracture recovery should occur on its own without treatment. Avoid scrubbing skin when it first comes out of the cast as the bone may still be tender. Your child’s doctor may advise slowly resuming normal activities and skipping sports for a few weeks until the bone is more stable. Most children do not require physical therapy to recover full mobility after a fracture.
When to See a Specialist
During the post-recovery period after a fracture, there are a few signs that mean your child needs urgent follow-up care. Call your child’s doctor if your child shows any of the following symptoms:
- Fever over 101 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Pain and increased swelling after the first few days
- Complaints that the cast is too tight
- Numbness
- Drainage or foul odor from the cast
- Cold fingers or toes in the area affected by fracture
- A broken or wet cast
If you have any questions or concerns about how to support your child during the post fracture recovery period, consult with your child’s doctor or treatment team.