I Had No Idea 'Buckle Fractures' Existed Until My Little One Broke Her Leg

My seventeen-month-old daughter spent an entire weekend with a fractured leg, and we were completely unaware.

I know it sounds shocking, and it might make me seem like an inadequate parent. But I assure you, I am a devoted, caring mother. I’m confident in that, just as I am in my own name. Yet even the most vigilant parents can overlook things occasionally, and that’s exactly what happened to my sweet baby girl. I completely missed the signs that she had buckle fractures in two bones of her left leg.

Understanding the Situation

First off, it’s important to mention that my daughter is a late walker. She takes a few steps here and there, and there’s no medical reason for her delay; we’ve explored that. She’s capable of walking; she’s just taking her time. We might need to consider a bit of physical therapy if she doesn’t pick it up soon, but for now, she’s doing just fine.

Another factor complicating the situation was that my baby was dealing with three swollen molars trying to break through her gums. This detail becomes relevant later on.

Was my oversight regarding her broken leg my best parenting moment? Maybe not. But honestly, I’m not sure what we could have done differently. Let me share how everything unfolded.

The Incident

It was a Friday evening when my partner and I ordered pizza for the family. We all cozied up on our big bed, indulging in pizza while watching a kids’ movie. Once the movie ended, the boys went off to their room, leaving the baby behind. My partner grabbed a few of her toys, sat on the floor, and called for her. They were going to have a tea party.

As she saw him on the floor, she did what she always does: she swung her legs over the side of the bed and slid down to meet him. The drop is less than a foot, and she has done this countless times. My partner was right there to catch her just in case she tumbled backward.

She landed on her feet, then plopped down and let out a blood-curdling scream. I jumped up, and my partner quickly brought her to me. We checked her foot, thinking she might have landed on something sharp hidden in the carpet. Unable to see anything wrong, and since she had already stopped crying, we thought she was fine. I figured she just startled herself. I sat her back down, and she happily played with my partner until bedtime.

Symptoms and Delays

Now, about those teeth: At her doctor’s advice, we had been alternating Tylenol and Motrin to alleviate her molar pain. Before bed, we gave Amelia her dose of Motrin and continued the regimen on Saturday. She was a tad cranky, but the medicine seemed to help her feel better every time.

On Sunday, we took her to my father’s pool, where she was a perfect little angel, showing no signs that her LEG WAS BROKEN. It wasn’t until we were leaving that I tried to help her stand next to the coffee table and realized she was hesitant to put her left foot down. I decided to call her pediatrician’s after-hours line and scheduled a check-up for Monday morning, just to be cautious.

The Diagnosis

Fast-forward to Monday afternoon.

I found myself sitting in a pediatric orthopedist’s office, trying to comfort my little girl while a technician fitted her with a bright pink cast that reached from her tiny toes to her pudgy thigh. X-rays confirmed that when she dropped a mere TWELVE INCHES from the bed to the floor, my baby managed to break her tibia and fibula!

“Buckle fractures,” the doctor explained, “are quite common. We see them frequently in otherwise healthy kids her age.”

How did we overlook two broken bones? It was straightforward. Our assumption that her fussiness was due to teething overshadowed any signs of discomfort we might have noticed. The medications we gave her dulled her pain, and since she wasn’t walking much, we didn’t see her favoring the leg.

It was a perfect storm.

She’s my third child, and this is our first experience with a broken bone. My two rambunctious boys have jumped from bunk beds, tackled each other joyfully, and taken risks daily—yet their bones remained intact. Meanwhile, I allowed my youngest to wiggle off the bed while supervised by both her loving parents, and she ended up with two broken bones. Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but it’s true, and I felt awful when I found out.

What I Learned

However, it turns out I should cut myself some slack. According to board-certified orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jonathan Cluett at Verywell, “A buckle fracture, also known as a torus fracture, is an extremely common injury seen in children.” Buckle fractures occur when the bone compresses, leading to a “compression” injury. The side of the bone under pressure crumples, causing the fracture without snapping.

Essentially, a toddler’s bones can bend slightly without breaking, which makes these buckle fractures fairly common. They usually require three to four weeks in a cast or splint, and kids typically bounce back quickly. Once the cast comes off, life returns to normal.

For my daughter, though, she still experienced some pain post-cast, leading us to put her in another one for a week to aid her healing. Her x-rays now look perfect, but some kids just need a little extra time to recover. She should be all set for a Fourth of July pool day.

I wish I had known that buckle fractures were a thing, how frequently they occur, and that kids can sometimes manage them so well that parents remain oblivious! Let my little one’s broken leg be a lesson I wish I had learned sooner.

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Conclusion

In summary, buckle fractures are more common than many parents realize, and they can be easily overlooked, especially in children who are not fully mobile. Awareness of these injuries, their symptoms, and how to recognize them can help avoid unnecessary worries and ensure proper care when needed.

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I Had No Idea ‘Buckle Fractures’ Existed Until My Little One Broke Her Leg