Presentation
Direct hit of a football to the hand with the wrist extended. Discrete deformity visible upon inspection.
Patient Data
Forearm radiographs revealed a bulging of the cortex of the distal metaphysis of the radius, a torus fracture.
There is also a discrete minimally displaced physeal fracture of the distal radius (Salter-Harris type IV).
See annotated images below.
The physeal fracture is pointed by the white arrowheads on the frontal radiograph.
The bulging of the cortex is annotated in red on the lateral radiograph.
Case Discussion
Torus fractures, also known as buckle fractures, are incomplete fractures of the shaft of long bones, usually occurring on immature skeletons.
Physeal fractures are fractures with the involvement of the growth plates. They are commonly classified using the Salter-Harris classification.
In the present case, the fracture line passes through the epiphysis and the metaphysis, characterizing a Salter-Harris type IV.
Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.