Fracture patterns in children and young adults who fall from significant heights

Trauma is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality for children and young adults. When all causes of trauma are considered, falls are the most commo n mechanism of injury. To address specifically age-related fracture pattern s in children who fall, we identified 125 consecutive patients, 21 years ol d or younger, who fell from a height of 10 feet or greater. The medical rec ords and radiographs for 110 of these patients were available for review. P atients were divided into three groups based on age: there were 25 infant/t oddlers (0-2 years), 55 children (3-10 years), and 30 adolescent/young adul ts (11-21 years). We found statistically significant differences in fractur e distribution between the groups. The adolescent/young adult group sustain ed a greater number of vertebral fractures (p < 0.003) and total fractures per fall (p < 0.015). The children, in contrast, had a greater number of lo ng bone fractures (p < 0.05). Knowledge of age-related fracture patterns co uld result in improved diagnosis and treatment of these injuries.