The most common causes of a broken arm or broken leg are car accidents, falls, and sports injuries.

What is a broken bone?

There are several different levels of bone fractures.

• A complete fracture is when the bone has broken into two pieces.
• A greenstick fracture is when the bone cracks on one side only, not all the way through.
• A single fracture is when the bone is broken in one place.
• A comminuted fracture is when the bone is broken into more than two pieces or crushed.
• A bowing fracture, which only happens in children, is when the bone bends but does not break.
• An open fracture is when the bone is sticking through the skin.

What are the symptoms?

The pain is often a deep ache. Some children may experience sharper pain, especially with an open fracture. If the fracture is small, a child may not feel much pain at all, and may not know that he or she has broken a bone.

Other symptoms are:

• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Change in body temperature

What Should I do if I think my child may have broken a bone?

Immediately call 911 and contact your local children's hospital.

What is the Treatment?

The Doctor will X-ray the bone to view a "map" of the fracture so that the doctor can set the bones back in their normal position.

With breaks in larger bones or when a bone breaks in more than two pieces, the doctor may need to put in a metal pin to help set the bone.

After the bone has been set, the arm or leg is usually placed in a cast until the bone heals.