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Bone bruising of the distal forearm and wrist in children

Nikolaos K Sferopoulos1

  • 1Department of Paediatric Orthopaedics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, P. Papageorgiou 3, 54635 Thessaloniki, Greece. sferopoulos@in.gr

Injury
|April 28, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can identify bone bruising in children with wrist injuries. This imaging is crucial for diagnosing non-radiographically evident distal radius injuries that persist beyond five weeks.

Area of Science:

  • Orthopedics
  • Pediatric Radiology
  • Sports Medicine

Background:

  • Bone bruising is a distinct bone injury visualized by MRI with fat suppression.
  • Non-radiographically evident injuries of the distal radius and wrist in children can present persistent symptoms.
  • Understanding these injuries is vital for appropriate diagnosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe and classify bone bruise lesions in the pediatric distal radius and wrist.
  • To determine the significance and potential complications of these injuries.
  • To evaluate the utility of MRI in diagnosing persistent wrist injuries in children.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 20 pediatric patients diagnosed with bone bruising via MRI.
  • Classification of bone bruises based on anatomical location and injury patterns.
  • Correlation of injury types with potential Salter-Harris fracture classifications.

Main Results:

  • Bone bruising was diagnosed in 20 children (mean age 11.6 years).
  • Distal radius injuries were categorized into three types based on location relative to the growth plate.
  • Type 1 injuries resembled Salter-Harris type I, and Type 3 suggested potential Salter-Harris type V injuries.

Conclusions:

  • MRI is essential for diagnosing bone bruising in pediatric distal radius and wrist injuries.
  • Persistent symptoms after 5 weeks of immobilization warrant consideration for MRI.
  • Classification of bone bruises aids in understanding injury severity and potential growth plate involvement.

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