Age-, Maturation-Dependent Differences Exist in Foot Fracture Distribution

Background: Pediatric foot fractures are common, accounting for approximately 5% to 13% of all pediatric fractures. Foot and ankle injuries have been steadily increasing, accounting for up to 30% of sports medicine clinic visits, due to earlier and increasing sport participation. Most cases can be treated with conservative management, but a small subset may require surgery. Indications for surgical intervention may include skeletal maturity, physeal involvement, fracture displacement, angulation, and articular involvement, but these recommendations are predominantly derived from studies on knee and ankle rather than on foot injuries. There is no clear consensus on the optimal management strategies for pediatric foot fractures, and there is a paucity of information that examines imaging findings that impact treatment (conservative management vs surgical intervention). Objective: To evaluate the distribution and features of pediatric foot fractures on radiographs with respect to age an more...