Incidence of Childhood Distal Forearm Fractures Over 30 Years

Top Cited Papers
Open Access
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that the incidence of distal forearm fractures in children peaks during early adolescence around the time of the pubertal growth spurt.1-3 This observation has been explained on the basis of a transient increase in cortical porosity that results from enhanced bone turnover in response to greater calcium demand at the time of maximal longitudinal bone growth.4 Such a process might be especially problematic given the thin cortex of the metaphyseal region of the distal radius,5 and growth-related structural changes in the metaphysis further compromise bone strength in the distal forearm.6