How children break their bones: a decade of data
Fractures are the most common reason children in Australia are hospitalised for injury each year - and sport is the single biggest reason
New research from the Australian Institute of Health Innovation at Macquarie University published in the journal Injury, shows that young males account for two thirds of fracture-related hospital admissions with most injuries for all children resulting from a fall.
Associate Professor Rebecca Mitchell (pictured) said school, home and sports areas were the three most common places where fractures occurred with most children engaged in sport at the time of injury.
By identifying the type of fractures that are occurring in children, policy-makers will be better able to target strategies to reduce this type of harm.
“We don’t want children to stop playing sport or using playgrounds, but much can be done to encourage safe behaviours such as wearing helmets or wrist guards and the installation of impact absorbing surfaces in playgrounds,” Associate Professor Mitchell said.
Aside from the pain and discomfort to the child, there is also an economic cost to the health system and the family, time away from school and the possibility of chronic pain or disability, said lead author Dr Mona Faris.
This type of analysis has not been done before in Australia.
| Percentage of total fractures | Type of fracture | Place where fracture is most likely to occur |
|---|---|---|
| 48.1% | Forearm | School |
| 14.1% | Shoulder and upper arm | Home |
| 11.3% | Lower leg including ankle | Sporting activity |
| 10.4% | Wrist and hand | Sporting activity |
| 9% | Skull and face | Home |
The study looked at linked hospital and mortality records across Australia during 1 July 2002 and 30 June 2012. More than 287,646 children under 17 years with fracture-related injuries were admitted to hospital during this period, costing the economy more than $73.2 million per year.
Journal article:
Faris M, Lystad RP, Harris I, Curtis K, Mitchell R. Fracture-related hospitalisations and readmissions of Australian children ≤16 years: a 10-year population-based cohort study. Injury. 2020 Jul 15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.injury.2020.07.032
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