Bone Injuries in Severely Physically Handicapped Children

Eleven severely physically handicapped children who had cerebral palsy, spina bifida, congenital or developmental muscular dystrophy and so on, and whose records were reviewed, had sustained bone injuries and were treated at our hospital. More severely handicapped patients were susceptible to bone injury in spite of their poor daily activities.Most injuries were caused by trifling forces or by undetermined ones. Two supracondyle fractures occurred during stretching exercise of the hamstrings. One fracture of the femoral shaft occurred when a lower limb was just trapped between the side-bars of the bed at transfer.Injuries were sometimes detected by nurses or other attendants because the suffered limbs had swelling and heatness without complaints of children.We treated them conservatively except one patient.All the injuries healed satifactorily without complications such as decubitus, contracture, or pneumonia. To protect the bone injury in handicapped children, we must take care of them gently.