BET 3: DO BUCKLE FRACTURES OF THE PAEDIATRIC WRIST REQUIRE FOLLOW UP?

Report by: Gabby May, Specialist Trainee in Emergency Medicine

Checked by: Alan Grayson, Specialist Trainee in Emergency Medicine

Institution: Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport, UK and East Lancashire Hospitals

A short-cut review was carried out to determine if paediatric buckle fractures of the wrist need routine follow-up. A total of 1067 papers was found using the reported search, of which nine represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of these best papers are shown in table 1. The clinical bottom line is that a child diagnosed with a buckle fracture of the wrist can be safely discharged from the emergency department (ED) in a removable splint with no follow-up from the orthopaedic department.

Three-part question

[In a child with a buckle fracture of the distal radius +/or ulna] is [follow up in fracture clinic …