Signs Your Child May Have a Broken Bone
Children don't always describe pain clearly. What they do with the injured arm or leg often tells more.
Refusing to use an arm or leg
A child who won't bear weight, limps, or holds an arm still after a fall.
Swelling or bruising
Swelling, bruising or tenderness over a bone, especially near a joint.
Pain near a growth plate
Pain near the end of a bone, close to a joint, can mean a growth plate injury.
Pain that doesn't settle
A sports injury that still hurts after a few days of rest should be checked.
Common Children’s Fractures
Children's bones bend and break in patterns that are different from adult fractures.
Breaks through the growth plate, which are followed with X-rays to make sure the bone keeps growing normally.
Incomplete breaks where the bone bends or partly cracks, common in younger children.
Ankle fractures in children and teens, which can involve the growth plate.
Ankle fractures →Lower LegTibia FracturesShinbone fractures, including toddler fractures after a simple twist or fall.
Tibia fractures →Upper ArmUpper-Arm FracturesUpper-arm fractures in children often heal well without surgery.
Humerus fractures →SportsFractures in Young AthletesSports fractures with a clear plan for returning to practice and games.
Sports medicine →A Plan Parents Can Follow
Most children's fractures heal without surgery. The plan protects the growth plate and gets kids back to normal activity.
Accurate Diagnosis
Examination and X-rays, with attention to the growth plate.
Cast or Splint When It Fits
Many children's fractures heal well in a cast or splint.
Surgery When Indicated
Considered when the bone is badly out of position, the fracture enters a joint, or the growth plate needs to be lined up.
Back to Play
A written plan for school, gym class and sports, based on healing on X-ray rather than a fixed date.
What to Expect at Your Evaluation
Your first visit is focused on understanding the injury and outlining clear options.
How the injury happened, and a gentle examination of the arm or leg.
X-rays are reviewed with you and your child, with the growth plate explained.
Cast care, activity limits, and when your child can return to school activities and sports.
When to Have Your Child Checked
- Won't use an arm or leg after a fall
- Limping or refusing to walk
- Swelling or bruising over a bone
- Pain near a joint after an injury
From Conservative Care to Surgical Options
Treatment depends on the fracture, your age and activity, and your overall health.
Nonoperative Treatment
- Casts and splints
- Walking boots for some ankle and foot injuries
- Follow-up X-rays to check healing and growth
- A return-to-activity plan for school and sports
Surgical Treatment
- Realignment of a displaced fracture
- Pins or screws to hold the bone in position
- Fixation of fractures that enter a joint
- Performed at St. Luke's when surgery is needed
This page is educational and does not replace an individual evaluation. Children usually heal faster than adults, and your child's timeline is reviewed at each visit.
Read More Before Your Visit
In-depth guides written to help you understand your diagnosis and recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Dr. Hendel treats children's fractures, including growth plate fractures, at 153 Brodhead Road, Rear Entrance, Bethlehem, PA 18017.
Many children's fractures heal well in a cast or splint. Surgery is considered when the bone is badly out of position, the fracture enters a joint, or the growth plate needs to be lined up.
The growth plate is an area of developing cartilage near the end of a bone where growth happens. A fracture through it is treated with growth in mind, and some are followed with X-rays to make sure the bone keeps growing normally.
When the fracture has healed enough on X-ray and examination, which differs by bone and by child. You will get a written plan for gym class, practice and games.
Call (484) 526-1735 during office hours and say it is a new fracture. Same-day appointments are available for new fractures. Please ask for Dr. Hendel by name, because the same number schedules several St. Luke's orthopedic physicians. You can also schedule online through St. Luke's.
Referral requirements vary by insurance plan. Many plans allow direct access to orthopedic specialists, while others require a referral from your primary care physician. Office staff can verify your plan's requirements when you call to schedule.
Questions About Your Child's Fracture?
Visits are at 153 Brodhead Road, Rear Entrance, Bethlehem, PA 18017, for families from Bethlehem, Allentown, and across the Lehigh Valley. New fracture? Same-day appointments. Call (484) 526-1735.
Call (484) 526-1735Schedule Online at St. Luke’s