Precautions for children with epiphyseal damage

When children are young, they tend to be more active, especially boys who are very naughty. Sometimes problems may arise if parents cannot keep an eye on them, so everyone will keep the children under their own eyes. Some children hurt themselves because of being naughty. After the fracture, they will be fixed with plaster. Let’s learn about the precautions for children’s epiphyseal injuries.

Epiphyseal injury is a general term for injuries involving the longitudinal growth mechanism of bones. Includes epiphyseal, growth plate, Ranvier zone, growth-related articular cartilage, and metaphyseal injuries.

Epiphyseal injury in children is a common and unique injury in children, accounting for about one-third of childhood fractures. Epiphyseal injury may cause problems such as limb deformation and unequal length. Although epiphyseal injuries can cause serious problems, the results of repair are often satisfactory if handled properly by a professional pediatric orthopedic surgeon. Therefore, the diagnosis and treatment of epiphyseal injuries determine the prognosis.

1. Precautions after fracture in children

1. More serious fractures may sometimes cause nerve damage at the same time, resulting in limited movement of the hands and feet. Because the nerves gradually recover at a rate of 1 mm per day, the recovery of the nerves is often later than the healing of the fractures. At this time, parents should assist the child with functional exercises of the hands and feet and wait patiently for the nerves to recover. If there is no recovery after 3-4 months, further treatment is required.

2. Children may develop fever in the early stage after a fracture, which generally will not exceed 38°C and will last for 2-3 days at most. They can drink more water and rest more. No special treatment such as antibiotics is required.

3. There is usually obvious swelling after a fracture of the affected limb. When caring for the limb, pay attention to raising the affected limb slightly above the level of the heart to avoid poor circulation in the limb.

4. Children usually do not need special diet after a fracture. Eat mainly light and rich food, and increase calcium-containing foods appropriately. Eat more vegetables, fruits, fish, etc. and avoid eating too greasy food. For some children who like spicy food, it is acceptable to eat it in moderation to promote appetite.

5. For young children who cannot express themselves, if they cry abnormally or become restless during care, seek medical attention promptly.

6. For heavy children with lower limb fractures, pay attention to frequently turning over the upper body and healthy limbs, and massage the skin and muscles of the compressed areas to avoid the occurrence of pressure sores.

7. Children's perspiration system is not yet perfect. After fixation, you should pay attention to the skin care of the webbed parts of your hands and feet. You can wipe them frequently with a cotton swab dipped in clean water, or apply some starch to avoid the occurrence of sweat herpes and eczema.

8. Unless there are special circumstances, children generally do not need physical therapy after a fracture and can exercise on their own at home with the help of their parents.

9. Avoid trauma after the external fixation of a fracture is removed. At this time, the fracture has not yet healed firmly and recurrence of fracture is likely to occur. Forearm fractures are the most common site of recurrent fractures. At this time, care must be taken to prevent the child from getting injured again.