
This information is awaiting routine review. We acknowledge the input of RCH consumers and carers. After your child no longer needs the backslab or splint, they will return to their normal strength and ability.ĭeveloped by The Royal Children's Hospital and the Victorian Paediatric Orthopaedic Network. It may take some time for the muscles to regain their strength if the limb has been held still in a backslab. There is no ongoing weakness of the bone following a buckle fracture. Will the fracture area be weaker forever? This is because the bone does not move out of alignment (correct position) and the fracture is small. In nearly all cases, buckle fractures heal quickly and with no complications. Why doesn’t my child need a follow-up appointment? Kids Health Info fact sheet: Plaster cast care.Avoid contact sports for six weeks after the injury.Most children will not need a follow-up appointment or X-ray, because buckle fractures usually heal quickly without any problems.Your child should wear a removable backslab (partial cast) or splint for three weeks.A buckle fracture in the wrist is a small area of compressed bone.your child will not use their wrist, hand or fingers within two to three days of the back slab or splint being removed.your child’s wrist remains very painful or swollen three weeks after the injury.Contact sports (or rough and tumble play) should be avoided for six weeks after the injury. Wrist movement may be a little stiff and sore at first. Three weeks after their injury, your child can just stop wearing their backslab or splint. Further X-rays or physiotherapy are usually not required. Never cut or attempt to modify the cast, and make sure you avoid getting it wet.īecause buckle injuries are stable and heal quickly without problems, most children will not need a follow-up appointment with the GP or hospital. Give the pain relief medication as required, following the directions on the packet or as directed by the Although immobilising the arm with the backslab or splint will help to reduce the pain, additional pain relief (e.g. An arm sling is optional, and may help reduce any pain orīuckle injuries may be painful. If you think your child has a fracture and you are looking for first aid advice, see our fact sheetīuckle injuries are treated by wearing a removable backslab (a partial cast held in place with bandages) or ready-made splint, which should be worn as much as possible but can be removed for bathing or showering. This fact sheet provides information on what to do once your child has been treated in hospital for a buckle injury. There is no deformity in the wrist, which means the wrist will The wrist may be tender, slightly swollen, and painful to move. The bone will have a very small fracture, which is so minor that it may be difficult to see on X-ray.

Accessed March 21, 2016.A buckle injury of the wrist is a small area of compressed bone. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier 2014. Closed reduction and casting of distal forearm fractures in children. Distal forearm fractures in children: Initial management. General principles of fracture management: Fracture patterns and description in children. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier 2015. Fractures and dislocations of the forearm, wrist and hand. Distal forearm fractures in children: Diagnosis and assessment.

In: Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. General principles of orthopedic injuries.
