Bones & Muscles

• Growth Plate Fractures

  Injuries to growth plates, which produce new bone tissue and determine the final length and shape of bones in adulthood, must be treated so that bones heal properly.

• Growth Plates

  Growth plates are the areas of new bone growth, usually near the ends of long bones. A growth plate is weaker than solid bone. This makes it more likely to get injured.

• Guillain-Barré Syndrome

  Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare medical condition that affects the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. Luckily, most people who get GBS recover.

• Halo Brace

  Much like a fiberglass cast holds a broken arm or leg in place, a “halo” with vest holds a child’s head and neck in place after a spinal injury so that spinal bones can heal.

• Halo-Gravity Traction

  Halo-gravity traction is a way to pull the head and spine upward. Doctors use it to treat curvature of the spine and to prepare kids for spinal fusion surgery.

• How Broken Bones Heal

  Broken bones have an amazing ability to heal, especially in kids. Full healing can take time, but new bone usually forms a few weeks after an injury.

• How Do the Joints Work? (Video)

  See how the joints work.

• How Does a Leg Length X-Ray Work?

  Doctors use leg length X-rays to measure the legs and look for a leg length discrepancy (when one leg is shorter than the other).

• How to Handle a Broken Bone

  A broken bone needs emergency medical care. Here’s what to do if you think your child fractured a bone.

• Hypochondroplasia

  Hypochondroplasia is a condition that affects the growth of bone and cartilage. Kids who have it are shorter than other kids of the same age).