Fracture Clinic

Few kids grow up without breaking a bone. Prompt, expert care of fractures and orthopaedic injuries, especially those involving a bone’s growth plate, helps ensure that childhood misadventures don’t create problems into adulthood. When an injury happens, our Fracture Clinic offers quick access to specialized care.

We work to evaluate and treat every child in a timely window. Our orthopaedic specialists are familiar with a child’s unique build and know precisely the right treatments to minimize future problems.

Our clinic’s four-bed casting room is the ideal spot for children who need a cast. Movies, games and books help distract from the injury, and child life specialists put children at ease by going through the casting process with a doll’s arm first. Patients then have their pick of bright cast colors and glitter for a special touch. When it’s time to remove a cast, our technicians make children feel comfortable by demonstrating the dull saw on their own hands and providing headphones to cover up the saw’s sound.

Other procedures done at our Fracture Clinic include pin removal, suture and staple removal, bone setting and realignment, and splinting.

To make an appointment at our Fracture Clinic or ask follow-up questions about your child’s care, please call (888) 770-2462 and press 2 for specialty care clinics. Referral and authorization from your child’s primary doctor is usually required. We will provide timely follow-up and care coordination with your child’s doctor.

Traumatic Injuries

When a traumatic orthopaedic injury occurs, care often begins in our pediatric-dedicated emergency department. Our orthopaedic surgeons are always on call and can evaluate your child with an expertise not found at adult emergency departments. Should your child need an MRI, CT scan or other testing, these services are located within steps of the emergency department for the convenience of our families. Learn more about our emergency department and trauma center.

Splints and Casts

Broken bones, or fractures, are a common childhood hazard, particularly for kids in sports. While it can happen in a split second, a broken bone takes time to heal and may often require a cast. Splinting is used during the first few days after the injury, to allow for any swelling that may occur. A child may be given a splint prior to a cast.

Having a cast put on is a relatively simple process. First, a non-itch cloth liner is placed around the injured area, followed by several layers of soft cotton. Next, the doctor or orthopedic technician wraps a layer of plaster or fiberglass around the soft first layer. The outer layer is damp but will dry to a hard, protective covering.

Once the bone is healed, the cast will be removed with a small electrical saw. The saw blade isn’t sharp — it has a dull, rounded edge that vibrates up and down. This vibration is strong enough to break apart the fiberglass or plaster but won’t hurt skin. Even so, the process can seem scary to a child. Our child life specialists will help put your child at ease using distraction and calming techniques, as well as by using child-friendly terms to explain what’s happening.

Once the cast is off, the injured area will probably look and feel different to your child. The skin will be pale, dry, or flaky; the hair will look darker; and the muscles in the area will look smaller or thinner. This is all temporary. Over time, with some special exercises recommended by the doctor or a physical therapist, the bone itself, and muscles around it, will be back in working order.