Common Symptoms Of A Salter-Harris Fracture

Inability To Bear Weight

Salter-Harris fractures are painful injuries affecting the long tubular bones in children who still have growth potential. Growth potential slows down after puberty, but there is no exact age when the possibility no longer exists. When an injury occurs to the thigh (femur), lower leg bones (tibia or fibula), or the bones of the foot and ankle, it is common for the child to be unable to bear weight. This is usually due to a combination of pain and instability to the joint. A young child may temporarily forget about their injury and attempt to walk normally. In this case, instead of a total inability to walk and bear body weight, others will witness the child's leg buckling due to pain and joint dysfunction from their walking attempts. Any inability or unwillingness of a child to bear normal weight should be taken seriously. Ruling out a growth plate fracture, or beginning proper treatment and identification of a Salter-Harris fracture, is the first step towards recovery and return to normal activities.