Elbow fractures in children and adolescents

Fractures of the upper extremity are common injuries in athletically active children and adolescents. These injuries usually occur during falls on an outstretched arm. Upper extremity fractures account for 65% to 75% of fractures in this group, and fractures about the elbow for approximately 10%. Although most elbow fractures heal uneventfully with immobilization only, determining which fractures will do well with cast treatment alone and which require surgical reduction and stabilization is often difficult.