An estimated 2,815,600 children are harmed or endangered by their caretakers annually
Fractures are among the most common injuries seen in these children and are frequently highly specific for a diagnosis of abuse.
No fracture is pathognomonic of abuse
Some are suggestive:
Spinal fx
Digital fx
Complex skull fx
Spiral Long Bone fx
Scapular fx
Sternal fx
Metaphyseal fx
Periosteal separation
Some are more specific:
Posterior Rib fx
Acromioclavicular Fx
Multiple fxs of different ages
Infants < 1 year of age with fractures have a high prevalence of abuse.
C Y Skellern, D O Wood, A Murphy, M Crawford (2000). Non-accidental fractures in infants: Risk of further abuse. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health 36 (6), 590–592.
K. Nimkin, P. Kleinman. IMAGING OF CHILD ABUSE. Radiologic Clinics of North America, Volume 39, Issue 4, Pages 843-864
