ABSTRACT
Children may sustain avulsion fractures following sudden movements, usually during sport. The five places this can occur are the ischial tuberosity, the greater and lesser trochanters of the femur and the anterior superior and anterior inferior iliac spine. Fractures may be transverse, spiral or supracondylar. Seventy percent occur in the middle third of the femur. Most acute knee injuries are sprains, sustained during sport or while falling over, usually with a history of twisting. Accurate assessment of acute knee injuries can be difficult because of pain. An effusion is the cardinal sign of an injury within the joint. Ligament injury is best assessed with the knee in a slightly flexed position. The extensor mechanism consists of the quadriceps muscle, the patella, the patella tendon and the tibial tuberosity. Injury can disrupt these components at their junctions with each other. The most common symptom of septic arthritis is the child not using the limb, or pain when it is handled.
