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Could my 7 year old have broken her heel?


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She jumped off the bunk bed last night. Screaming ensued. Mind you, the child is a bit of a drama queen, but still it seemed to hurt her pretty badly. There is no swelling, no warmth, no discoloration, she slept fine and has had no pain meds. However, today she won't walk on it and says it hurts if she puts pressure on it.

 

I'd run her in for an x-ray but my insurance is terrible and I'll have to pay out of pocket for everything. I know that's a terrible way to make decisions, but such is the world we live in. I also know an actual broken heel can be serious and shouldn't be neglected, so my questions is for anyone who knows about this kind of injury - what are the chances it's really broken?

 

Thanks!

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Yup, sure could have.

 

I broke my heel in high school doing the same thing- jumping from a height onto a hard floor. My parents didn't believe me, and I limped for days. In the end, if I remember correctly, there was nothing to do but go on crutches and stay off my foot.

 

Sorry.

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The mechanism of injury is concerning for a calcaneal compression fracture. Often we do see swelling and bruising with these but if she can't bear weight on it she really does need an x-ray (and maybe a CT later). The good news is that in kids these fractures usually do not involve the subtalar joint (the opposite is true in adolescents and adults).

 

I hope everything works out.

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The mechanism of injury is concerning for a calcaneal compression fracture. Often we do see swelling and bruising with these but if she can't bear weight on it she really does need an x-ray (and maybe a CT later). The good news is that in kids these fractures usually do not involve the subtalar joint (the opposite is true in adolescents and adults).

 

I hope everything works out.

 

Thanks for this. Another question for you - She says it feels better as the day goes on. If it's just a bruise, would I expect the pain to decrease quickly as opposed to a fracture staying painful? At this point I'm taking her in tomorrow morning, but I'm looking for a reason not to go. :)

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