Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Injuries when children reportedly fall from a bed or couch.

William L Hennrikus1, Brian A Shaw, Joseph A Gerardi

  • 1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Valley Children's Hospital, Madera, California, USA. whennrikus@valleychildrens.org

Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research
|February 5, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Falls from home furniture causing pediatric orthopaedic injuries are usually accidental. However, infants under 1 year old with such injuries require careful evaluation for potential child abuse.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Pediatric Surgical and Procedural Specialists and the AAP.

Pediatrics·2026
Same author

Paediatric trigger thumb: Diagnostic pearls.

Journal of paediatrics and child health·2024
Same author

Emergency Pediatric Orthopaedic Transfer Criteria: A Pilot Study.

Journal of surgical orthopaedic advances·2024
Same author

Special Report: The Moore Pediatric Surgery Center: An Evolving Model for Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgical Care in a Limited Resource Environment.

Journal of pediatric orthopedics·2023
Same author

Descriptive Analysis of Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program Directors.

Journal of surgical orthopaedic advances·2023
Same author

Outcomes of Displaced Tibial Tubercle Fractures in Adolescents.

The journal of knee surgery·2022

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Orthopaedics
  • Child Abuse Detection
  • Injury Mechanisms

Background:

  • Falls from furniture are common causes of pediatric orthopaedic injuries.
  • Distinguishing accidental injuries from non-accidental trauma is crucial for child welfare.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between falls from home furniture and suspected child abuse in pediatric patients.
  • To determine if the reported mechanism of injury is sufficient to explain the observed orthopaedic trauma.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective study of 115 pediatric patients with orthopaedic injuries from reported furniture falls.
  • Evaluation by primary care/emergency physicians and orthopaedic surgeons.
  • Analysis of child abuse reporting rates based on age and injury severity.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • 5% of patients had child abuse reports filed.
  • 95% of injuries were deemed consistent with the reported fall mechanism.
  • Infants under 1 year old had a 50% investigation rate for child abuse, compared to 5% for children aged 1-5 years.

Conclusions:

  • Orthopaedic injuries from furniture falls are typically accidental in children over 1 year old.
  • Younger children, especially those under 1 year, with these injuries warrant heightened suspicion and investigation for child abuse.
  • Age is a critical factor in assessing the likelihood of abuse following furniture fall-related orthopaedic injuries.