ABSTRACT
The approach to polytrauma in children follows the same structured approach as the adult Advanced Trauma Life Support protocol. Immediately life-threatening injuries should be identified first and treated as they are diagnosed, with ongoing reassessment and simultaneous resuscitation, followed by thorough secondary and tertiary surveys. Adjuncts to the primary survey include chest and pelvis radiographs, blood samples including cross match and arterial blood gas. A greenstick fracture is an incomplete fracture of the tension surface while the compression side remains intact but may undergo plastic deformation. The mechanism of healing of physeal fractures depends on the fracture level within the physis, and therefore multiple mechanisms may exist within a single fracture depending on its complexity. The goal in treating physeal fractures is to achieve and maintain satisfactory reduction without causing further damage to the germinal layer. Physeal fractures are susceptible to the same complications as other fractures, but specific to them is the risk of growth disturbance.
