What is the Salter-Harris Classification referring to?
The Salter-Harris classification system is a method used to grade fractures that occur in children and involve the growth plate, which is also known as the physis or physial plate. The classification system grades fractures according to the involvement of the physis, metaphysis, and epiphysis.
What are the five types of epiphyseal growth plate fractures?
The Salter-Harris system classifies growth plate fractures into five groups: type I, fracture through the growth plate; type II, fracture through the growth plate and metaphysis; type III, fracture through the growth plate and epiphysis; type IV, fracture through the growth plate, epiphysis and metaphysis, and type V.
Which one of the Salter-Harris classification is associated with asymmetrical growth over the growth plate?
Type IV fractures run vertically through the growth plate and can lead to asymmetric bone growth or deformity. Type V is the rarest type of Salter-Harris fracture, and it happens when the growth plate becomes damaged, but there is no actual break.
What is the most common type of Salter-Harris FX?
Type 2. This fracture occurs when the growth plate is hit and splits away from the joint along with a small piece of the bone shaft. This is the most common type and happens most often in children over 10. About 75 percent of Salter-Harris fractures are type 2.
How is a Salter-Harris fracture diagnosed?
Diagnosis. Salter-Harris fractures are diagnosed through x-rays and an examination. If your child is in a lot of pain, the doctor may also decide to get a computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan to look at the injury after looking at x-rays.
Is a buckle fracture a Salter-Harris?
A buckle fracture was diagnosed if there was buckling of the cortex on both the AP and lateral views without any cortical disruption, indicative of complete fracture, or without radiolucency to the physis, indicative of a Salter-Harris II fracture.
What is a Salter-Harris type 4 fracture?
Salter-Harris type IV fractures are relatively uncommon injuries that occur in children. They are intra-articular injuries in which the fracture extends through the epiphysis, across the physis and through the metaphysis. Salter-Harris fractures are a group childhood injuries where a fracture involves the physis.
What is an avulsion FX?
An avulsion fracture occurs when a small chunk of bone attached to a tendon or ligament gets pulled away from the main part of the bone. The hip, elbow and ankle are the most common locations for avulsion fractures in the young athlete.
What is a Salter Harris type 3 fracture?
Salter-Harris type III fractures are more rare, usually occurring on the distal tibia (the bottom end of a tibia) and cutting across the growth plate, towards the epiphysis. Type III may lead to a development of posttraumatic arthritis, which is characterized by inflammation or swelling around the joint.
Why is the Salter-Harris classification so important?
The Salter-Harris classification has become part of the language used in orthopaedics, is nearly universally understood, and is used by orthopaedic practitioners, greatly facilitating communication. This is where the classification derives much of its utility.
Who proposed the Salter-Harris classification of physeal fractures?
Dr Derek Smith ◉ and A.Prof Frank Gaillard ◉ ◈ et al. The Salter-Harris classification was proposed by Salter and Harris in 1963 1 and at the time of writing (June 2016) remains the most widely used system for describing physeal fractures.
How do you remember the Salter-Harris types?
Conveniently the Salter-Harris types can be remembered by the mnemonic SALTR. There are a few other rare types that you should probably never include in a report as almost no one will know what you are talking about.