# Epidemiology and treatment of forearm fractures in Swedish children and adolescents

## TL;DR

This study analyzed forearm fractures in Swedish children and found that boys and older children are more likely to sustain these injuries, mainly from falls during play or sports.

## Contribution

The study provides a nationwide epidemiological analysis of pediatric forearm fractures in Sweden using the Swedish Fracture Register.

## Key findings

- Boys had a higher incidence of forearm fractures than girls.
- Falls were the primary cause of fractures, especially during summer and in sports settings.
- Most fractures were non-surgical and occurred in the distal forearm.

## Abstract

Previous studies, mainly single-center, on pediatric forearm fractures have shown that boys sustain fractures more frequently than girls. The most common injury mechanisms are falls and fractures occur more frequently during the summer. Most pediatric forearm fractures are treated non-surgically. This observational study aimed to present the demographics of pediatric forearm fractures in Sweden using the Swedish Fracture Register (SFR).

We included pediatric patients < 16 years with a registered forearm fracture in the SFR between January 1st, 2015, and December 31st, 2019. We analyzed age, sex, injury mechanisms, anatomical location of the fracture, type of fracture, and initial treatment.

This study included 26,587 patients with 27,987 forearm fractures. Boys sustained a forearm fracture more frequently than girls. The boys were also significantly older. The mean age of all patients was 9.6 years. Distal fractures were most common, followed by diaphyseal and proximal fractures. Most of the fractures were torus fractures sustained to the distal radial metaphysis. Falls were the dominating injury mechanism. Most of the fractures occurred during playtime or sports activities. The most common injury place was registered as “unspecified”, followed by “sports facilities”. The highest fracture occurrence was observed during the summer. Most of the fractures were treated non-surgically.

Forearm fractures are a common injury in children, with 75% affecting the distal forearm. The dominant injury mechanism was falls, regardless of age. Both sex and age affect the risks of sustaining a fracture, with boys and older children being at a greater risk. Our findings highlight the need for strengthened safety measures together with fall education.