Avulsion Fracture Facts: Bone Up on These Ligament Injuries
Updated December 16, 2014.
An avulsion fracture is an injury to the bone in a location where a tendon or ligament attaches to the bone. When an avulsion fracture occurs, the tendon or ligament pulls off a piece of the bone. Avulsion fractures can occur anywhere in the body, but they are more common in a few specific locations.
Avulsion fractures are more common in children than adults. In adults, the ligaments and tendons tend to be injured first, whereas in children the bone may fail before the ligament or tendon is injured.
Children have a particularly weak point in their skeleton called the growth plate. This is the area of bone that is actively growing. In children, tendons or ligaments near a growth plate can pull hard enough to cause the growth plate to fracture.
Most often, an avulsion fracture can be treated without surgery. Only when the avulsed fragment of bone is pulled more than several centimeters from its normal position does surgery need to be considered.
In addition, some avulsion fractures occur with such small pieces of bone, that often the fragment need not be fixed. For example, ankle sprains can often cause small avulsion fragments. These injuries can typically be treated as an ankle sprain, as the small piece of bone really does not affect the treatment decisions or outcome of the patient.
There are some concerns about treatment when the avulsion fracture invovles the growth plate in a growing child. Because growth plates are important for normal skeletal development, these injuries must be carefully treated.
If there is concern that a growth plate is not correctly positioned, surgery may be performed to align and stabilize the growth plate.
Surgery may not be needed if the avulsion fracture is well aligned, or if the patient is near enough to growth plate closure that this injury will not cause lasting growth problems.
Sources:
Metzmaker JN, Pappas AM. "Avulsion fractures of the pelvis." Am J Sports Med. 1985 Sep-Oct;13(5):349-58.
An avulsion fracture is an injury to the bone in a location where a tendon or ligament attaches to the bone. When an avulsion fracture occurs, the tendon or ligament pulls off a piece of the bone. Avulsion fractures can occur anywhere in the body, but they are more common in a few specific locations.
Avulsion fractures are more common in children than adults. In adults, the ligaments and tendons tend to be injured first, whereas in children the bone may fail before the ligament or tendon is injured.
Children have a particularly weak point in their skeleton called the growth plate. This is the area of bone that is actively growing. In children, tendons or ligaments near a growth plate can pull hard enough to cause the growth plate to fracture.
Treatment of an Avulsion Fracture
Most often, an avulsion fracture can be treated without surgery. Only when the avulsed fragment of bone is pulled more than several centimeters from its normal position does surgery need to be considered.
In addition, some avulsion fractures occur with such small pieces of bone, that often the fragment need not be fixed. For example, ankle sprains can often cause small avulsion fragments. These injuries can typically be treated as an ankle sprain, as the small piece of bone really does not affect the treatment decisions or outcome of the patient.
There are some concerns about treatment when the avulsion fracture invovles the growth plate in a growing child. Because growth plates are important for normal skeletal development, these injuries must be carefully treated.
If there is concern that a growth plate is not correctly positioned, surgery may be performed to align and stabilize the growth plate.
Surgery may not be needed if the avulsion fracture is well aligned, or if the patient is near enough to growth plate closure that this injury will not cause lasting growth problems.
Sources:
Metzmaker JN, Pappas AM. "Avulsion fractures of the pelvis." Am J Sports Med. 1985 Sep-Oct;13(5):349-58.
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