Your child has sustained an injury of the wrist bone which your doctor has diagnosed as a “Buckle Fracture”. This injury is treated like a sprain and will not cause any long term problems.
Treatment
We have provided your child with a wrist support (splint) to make them more comfortable and to reduce the chances of further injury. The splint should be worn day and night for three weeks and should only be removed for washing.
Your child may have discomfort in their wrist and some mild swelling or bruising, which should settle over a few days. They may require simple painkillers. If they seem to be in severe pain then contact the Emergency Department for advice.
After three weeks you should remove the splint for periods of time. If your child is comfortable then you can increase the amount of time without the splint. It is normal that there will be some pain and stiffness after removal of the splint, but this should settle down within a few days. We would expect that your child will not need to use the splint at all by four weeks after the injury.
Sporting activities, physical exercise and rough play should be avoided for six weeks in total to avoid the risk of re-fracture.
Follow-up
Under normal circumstances we will not need to see your child again. If you have any concerns about your child’s recovery then you can telephone to arrange an appointment using the number overleaf.
All x-rays are reviewed by our radiologist (x-ray doctors). If there is any concern that there may be a more serious injury you will be contacted to return for a follow-up appointment.
It is important that you arrange a review of your child if either:
- They appear to be in severe pain despite having taken painkillers.
- They still need to use the splint at four weeks after the injury.
Contact details
For advice or review appointments, call the Emergency Department secretaries on 0191 445 2946 (Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00).
For urgent advice out of hours call 111.