Do fractures affect growth?
When children or teens break bones, they may damage their growth plates at the same time. (Other injuries, such as sprains, can also damage growth plates.) If the growth plate is damaged by a fracture or another injury, the bone may stop growing. This serious problem is called a growth arrest.
Can ankle injuries stunt growth?
Conclusion. Ankle fractures are a common chidhood injury. Fractures that heal well-aligned and do not develop a growth disturbance should not cause any significant long-term problems such as arthritis or chronic pain.
What happens if a child’s growth plate is damaged?
If a fracture goes through a growth plate, it can result in a shorter or crooked limb. A growth plate fracture affects the layer of growing tissue near the ends of a child’s bones. Growth plates are the softest and weakest sections of the skeleton — sometimes even weaker than surrounding ligaments and tendons.
Does growth plate affect height?
But your child’s growth — particularly height — also depends on bone growth plates. When those growth plates become damaged through a sports-related injury or accident, they not only can be painful but also can affect how well and how long your child’s arms, legs, hands and feet grow.
What happens if you break the growth plate in your ankle?
The most common growth plate injury at the ankle is at the end of the fibula. This type of break is similar to an ankle sprain and usually does not show up on an X-ray. Symptoms include ankle pain, tenderness and swelling over the area where the growth plate is located.
What happens when you break your growth plate in your ankle?
At what point do bones stop growing?
Between 17 and 25 years, normal growth stops. The development and union of separate bone parts is complete. At this point, you and your skeleton are as tall as you are going to get – with many fewer bone parts than you started with!
How common are growth plate fractures?
How common are growth plate fractures? Up to one-third of all the fractures that occur in children are growth plate fractures. They are more common in boys than girls. In fact, boys are twice as likely to have growth plate fractures as girls, because girls’ bones stop growing and harden at an earlier age.
How long does it take a growth plate fracture to heal?
Typically, it takes several weeks for a growth plate to fully heal. Your orthopedic physician or physical therapist will likely recommend special physical therapy exercises and stretches to promote further healing.
How long does a broken growth plate in the ankle take to heal?
Growth plate fractures in the ankle that occur at the end of the fibula, commonly associated with a typical ankle sprain, may not present on an X-ray. These often require about four to six weeks of recovery.
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