“ Now that the cast is off, is (fill child’s name here ) allowed to go play soccer tomorrow?
That and questions of the sort are some of the questions I get asked a lot by excited and anxious parents after we remove the cast.
Well, the truth is that anyone fresh out of a cast is not allowed to immediately return to contact sports because of the potential risk of re-breaking the bone.
In this article, we will discuss the safe sports to do after a cast is removed from an arm, the estimated time to full recovery of these fractures in children, and the risks of early return to contact sports.
What do we mean by contact sports?
Contact sports are those in which there is the potential of someone violently bumping into you like soccer, football, hockey, volleyball e.t.c.
Do you need to see a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon?
What can you do after an arm/hand cast is removed?
These activities are accepted after cast removal
- Swimming. This exercise improves the range of motion of the upper extremities while also conditioning the whole body.
- Walking. Just like swimming, walking improves cardiovascular fitness. Incorporate some hand swings while walking to improve the range of motion of the arm.
- Jogging and running. These activities are safe on level ground.
What is the estimated time to recovery in order to return to contact sports after upper limb fractures?
This is dependent on a few factors which include;
- Location of the fracture
- Age of the child
- Type of treatment; either surgery or treatment without surgery (nonsurgical).
- The appearance of the bone on x-ray
What is the estimated recovery time after these fractures in children?
- 4 to 8 weeks; By this time, most fractures have healed enough in children for a cast to be removed and to allow them to go back to doing day-to-day activities like household chores.
- 8 to 12 weeks; Activities are progressed from individual play to interacting with other children.
- 12 to 24 weeks. Most bones in children are fully healed and at this point, if your doctor deems you fit, you may be allowed to return to full sporting activities.
Risks of early return to sports
- Refracture
Breaking the bone again is the commonest complication of early return to sports.
- Psychological trauma.
Children need to be prepared psychologically about returning to activities after an injury especially if the previous injury was a result of that sport.
In conclusion, children heal fast but that doesn’t always dictate their quick return to sports. A proper clinical assessment is important in order to guide their return to sports.
