Table of Contents

ABSTRACT

Among the injuries caused by physical abuse, abusive fractures may be difficult to distinguish from accidental injuries, particularly in older children. Inflicted fractures, depending on the age of the child, the bone or bones involved, and their specific location on that bone, can go unrecognized. This may be because of the non-specific nature of symptoms or the inability of these children to describe their pain or what happened. Many fractures are identified when children are being evaluated for other illnesses or symptoms unrelated to bone injury. This paper reviews key elements of these bone injuries with the goals of aiding early identification, treatment and child protection.

Keywords: Child abuse, physical abuse, fractures, abusive fractures