Meghana Nandigam, Margarita Chmil, Benjamin Patrick Thompson, Julie Balch Samora, Lynne Ruess
{"title":"Volar Distal Radius Buckle Fractures: Is Bracing and Home Management Safe?","authors":"Meghana Nandigam, Margarita Chmil, Benjamin Patrick Thompson, Julie Balch Samora, Lynne Ruess","doi":"10.1097/PEC.0000000000003177","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>A removable brace with home management is widely accepted treatment for distal radius buckle fractures, which most commonly involve the dorsal cortex.</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The purpose of this study is to determine if a removable brace and home management treatment is safe for volar distal radius buckle fractures.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Isolated distal radius buckle fractures in children (3-16 years) diagnosed at an acute care visit (April 1, 2019 to May 31, 2022) were identified. Final diagnosis was confirmed using strict criteria including cortical buckling without cortical breach or physeal involvement. Cortical buckling was categorized as either dorsal or volar. Demographic data, mechanism of injury, treatment, and any complications were recorded and analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Three hundred thirty-three fractures were either dorsal (254, 76%) or volar (79, 24%) buckle fractures. Mean age (SD) for volar fractures (9.3 [2.2 years]; range, 4-14 years) was significantly higher than for dorsal fractures (8.5 (3.0 years); range, 3-15 years; P = 0.012). More girls had volar fractures (48 [60%], P = 0.006). Most fractures occurred after a standing-height fall. Two hundred forty-four (96%) dorsal and 76 (96%) volar fractures were initially treated with a removable brace. Two hundred fourteen (84%) dorsal and 66 (84%) volar fractures had orthopedic follow-up. Brace treatment continued for 167 (167/204, 82%) dorsal and 56 (56/63, 89%) volar fractures. Treatment changed from initial brace to cast for 37 (37/204, 18%) dorsal fractures and 7 (7/63, 11%) volar fractures, influenced by caregiver preference and/or sport participation requirements. Only 1 (1/79, 1%) patient with a volar fracture returned for an additional visit for persistent pain.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>When diagnosis of volar buckle fracture is made using the same strict criteria used for dorsal buckle fractures, removable brace and home management treatment is safe. Shared decision making with caregivers may alter buckle fracture treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":19996,"journal":{"name":"Pediatric emergency care","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Pediatric emergency care","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1097/PEC.0000000000003177","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/4/16 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"EMERGENCY MEDICINE","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: A removable brace with home management is widely accepted treatment for distal radius buckle fractures, which most commonly involve the dorsal cortex.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine if a removable brace and home management treatment is safe for volar distal radius buckle fractures.
Materials and methods: Isolated distal radius buckle fractures in children (3-16 years) diagnosed at an acute care visit (April 1, 2019 to May 31, 2022) were identified. Final diagnosis was confirmed using strict criteria including cortical buckling without cortical breach or physeal involvement. Cortical buckling was categorized as either dorsal or volar. Demographic data, mechanism of injury, treatment, and any complications were recorded and analyzed.
Results: Three hundred thirty-three fractures were either dorsal (254, 76%) or volar (79, 24%) buckle fractures. Mean age (SD) for volar fractures (9.3 [2.2 years]; range, 4-14 years) was significantly higher than for dorsal fractures (8.5 (3.0 years); range, 3-15 years; P = 0.012). More girls had volar fractures (48 [60%], P = 0.006). Most fractures occurred after a standing-height fall. Two hundred forty-four (96%) dorsal and 76 (96%) volar fractures were initially treated with a removable brace. Two hundred fourteen (84%) dorsal and 66 (84%) volar fractures had orthopedic follow-up. Brace treatment continued for 167 (167/204, 82%) dorsal and 56 (56/63, 89%) volar fractures. Treatment changed from initial brace to cast for 37 (37/204, 18%) dorsal fractures and 7 (7/63, 11%) volar fractures, influenced by caregiver preference and/or sport participation requirements. Only 1 (1/79, 1%) patient with a volar fracture returned for an additional visit for persistent pain.
Conclusions: When diagnosis of volar buckle fracture is made using the same strict criteria used for dorsal buckle fractures, removable brace and home management treatment is safe. Shared decision making with caregivers may alter buckle fracture treatment.
期刊介绍:
Pediatric Emergency Care®, features clinically relevant original articles with an EM perspective on the care of acutely ill or injured children and adolescents. The journal is aimed at both the pediatrician who wants to know more about treating and being compensated for minor emergency cases and the emergency physicians who must treat children or adolescents in more than one case in there.