Kids are kids. Playtime, sports activities and just plain running around can sometimes lead to broken bones or bone fractures. If you suspect your child has a broken bone, it’s important to get care quickly so that their bones can heal properly. But where should you go first—urgent care or the emergency department?

The good news: Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has both. And all locations are staffed by specialists trained to treat fractures in growing bones. Here are some tips on choosing which type of care is best for your child after an injury.

Orthopedic Clinic, Urgent Care, or Children’s Emergency Department?

Make a weekday or weekend appointment with one of our our pediatric orthopedic specialists at one of our 13 clinic locations if:

• Your child has an injury, condition or pain that is new or constant, but can be controlled with rest or over-the-counter medications.
• Your child has an injury, condition or pain that is acute or persistent, but is comfortable enough to attend school and/or work.

Walk in to or save your spot at one of our eight Urgent Care Centers if:

• Your child has sustained an injury or has pain that is not improved with rest or over the counter medications.
• Your child cannot move the injured area without pain.
• Your child cannot put weight on the injured area and needs assistance.
• Your child sustained an injury and has immediate pain, swelling or bruising that prevents them from continuing the activity.

You should consider taking your child to the Emergency Department if any of the following are true:

• The bone has pierced through the skin (call 911 if the injury is severe or is bleeding heavily).
• Your child feels numbness or tingling in the broken or injured area.
• The area appears crooked and misshapen.
• You cannot control your child’s pain.
• Your child is unable to walk without assistance.

Depending on how severe your child’s injury is, the specialists at our Urgent Care Centers may transfer you and your child to the nearest Children’s Emergency Department. Alternatively, if your child’s injury does not require emergency care, our Urgent Care Centers may help you make a scheduled follow-up, same-day or weekend appointment with Children’s pediatric orthopedic specialists, who can perform X-rays and provide appropriate treatment on site if your child needs a cast or a splint.

Make a follow-up appointment with an orthopedic specialist

Children’s bones heal quickly, so it’s important to schedule a follow-up appointment after initial treatment to ensure bones are in the right place and heal correctly. Once you've visited the Emergency Department or an Urgent Care Center, visit a pediatric orthopedic specialist or pediatric hand specialist approximately five to seven days after the injury to check that the injury is healing correctly. Bring any X-rays you may have on a CD to your child's appointment.

Notify your pediatrician

Any time your child experiences a possible bone fracture, contact your child’s pediatrician to inform them of the injury. They can help guide you on where it’s best to seek care and how to manage symptoms at home until you can see a specialist.

We specialize in pediatric fracture care for infants, children, adolescents and young athletes. Our team uses X-rays to help diagnose fractures. While not all breaks are easy to spot, our board-certified pediatric radiologists are trained to quickly and accurately diagnose injured bones.

Is it a bone fracture or a break?

If your child is injured, the first priority is to determine—through the use of X-rays—whether a bone is fractured. A fracture is a clinical term for a break in the bone. (In other words, a broken bone and a bone fracture are the same thing.) Next, doctors will determine what type of fracture it is.

Your child may have one of two types of fractures:

• Displaced—A fracture is displaced if pieces of the bone bend or move out of proper position.
• Nondisplaced—A fracture is nondisplaced if the bones stay in place.

Why didn't my child's broken bone show up on the X-ray?

Not every fracture shows up on an X-ray. Children, in particular, can have broken bones and still have normal X-rays that do not reveal an obvious fracture. It is hard to see a fracture if it occurs on the bone’s growth plate, especially if it is a nondisplaced fracture (bones that stay in place). Since fractures can be hard to see at first, the doctor may tell you that your child’s X-ray looks normal, but will treat your child in case the fracture shows up on an X-ray later.

As a fracture heals, your child’s body sends extra calcium, bone cells and blood vessels to rebuild the bone. After seven to 10 days of rebuilding, there will be enough calcium around the fracture so that it shows up on an X-ray. This is why one doctor may conclude that your child does not have a fracture, but another doctor may diagnose a fracture later on.

“Setting” a broken bone means taking a crooked, displaced fracture and moving it back into place to allow it to heal. This is called a reduction. Your child’s orthopedic specialist will discuss reduction options with you and help identify the best treatment for your child.

There are two reduction methods that your orthopedic specialist may recommend to set the bone and allow it to heal correctly:

• Closed reduction—the broken bone does not require an incision, or surgery, to move it into the right position to heal.
• Open reduction—an incision, or surgery, is needed and the bone will be put in place during an operation.

There are many factors your child’s orthopedic specialist will consider to determine whether an open or closed reduction might be best for your child. However, the goal is always is to allow the broken area around the fracture to eventually look normal and function as normally as possible.

Ways to prevent the bone from moving once it’s been set may include:

• Applying casts, a brace or splints.
• Inserting hardware like screws, rods, plates or pins into the broken bone during surgery. If there is hardware outside the body, it will be removed when the bone heals.

How long does it take for a bone fracture to heal?

Fractures can take from several weeks to several months to heal, depending on:

• The type of fracture.
• Which bone is broken.
• How severe the injury is.
• The age of the child.

Pain usually stops long before the fracture is healed. Your child will be able to begin some activity before the fracture heals completely. Even after removing the cast or splint, your child may need to limit activity until the bone is solid enough to use normally.

If you have concerns about how your child’s injury is healing, call their doctor.

Depending on the type and severity of the fracture, your child’s doctor may recommend physical therapy or occupational therapy after the bone has healed to help regain strength and function.

Locate a Children’s outpatient physical therapy or occupational therapy location near you.

Locate a Children’s sports medicine physical therapy location near you.