Imaging Traumatic Wrist and Hand Injuries in Children.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Orthopedics
• Pediatric Radiology
• Skeletal Development

Background:

• The pediatric wrist and hand are complex anatomical regions with dynamic changes during growth.
• Understanding normal skeletal development, including ossification and growth plate maturation, is crucial for diagnosing injuries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review normal skeletal development of the pediatric wrist and hand.
• To discuss common acute physeal and nonphyseal fractures.
• To cover repetitive stress injuries in young athletes.

Main Methods:

• Review of normal skeletal development patterns.
• Explanation of physeal anatomy.
• Discussion of fracture types (Salter-Harris, buckle, incomplete, complete).
• Review of repetitive stress injuries in gymnasts and climbers.

Main Results:

• Detailed description of normal ossification and growth plate maturation.
• Classification and characteristics of various pediatric wrist and hand fractures.
• Identification of key radiologic findings for repetitive stress injuries.

Conclusions:

• Accurate diagnosis of pediatric wrist and hand injuries requires understanding normal development and common injury patterns.
• Repetitive stress injuries have specific radiologic findings with significant clinical implications for young athletes.