2. Defination
• Greenstick fractures are incomplete fractures
of long bones and are usually seen in young
children, more commonly less than 10 years of
age. They are commonly mid-diaphyseal,
affecting the forearm and lower leg.
3. Mechanisms of injury
• Greenstick fractures occur when the force applied to a
bone results in bending of the bone such that the
structural integrity of the convex surface is overcome.
The fact that the integrity of the cortex has been
overcome results in fracture of the convex surface.
However, the bending force applied does not break the
bone completely and the concave surface of the bent
bone remains intact.
• This can occur following an angulated longitudinal
force applied down the bone (e.g. an indirect trauma
following a fall on an outstretched arm (FOOSH)), or
after a force applied perpendicular to the bone (e.g. a
direct blow).
4. Presentation
• Typically symptoms associated with broken
bone may be absent or minimal in green stick
fractures because bone not displaced.
• Often resembles soft tissue injury, such as a
sprain or a bad bruise.
5. Differential diagnosis
• torus or buckling fracture - much more
common, metaphyseal and results in buckling
of the cortex
• bow fracture - the bone is bowed, but there is
no discernible fracture (plastic deformity).
