Pediatric bone is porous, while adult bone is more solid, or cancellous. Unlike adult bone, its porosity gives it a plasticity that allows it to bend, buckle, or deform without complete fracture. Torus fractures are incomplete fractures characterized by wrinkling or buckling of the cortex. In ancient Greek architecture, a torus is a bump on the base of a column and these fractures, which occur on the end of long bones, take on such an appearance. They are unique to pediatric patients.
The most common location for a torus fracture is the distal radius, but these injuries can also be seen at the proximal radius, distal humerus, distal femur and proximal tibia. They occur at the diaphyseal-metaphyseal junction, where the transition from relatively porous to more dense bone predisposes to local failure when exposed to an axial load.
Pediatric bone is porous, while adult bone is more solid, or cancellous. Unlike adult bone, its porosity gives it a plasticity that allows it to bend, buckle, or deform without complete fracture. Torus fractures are incomplete fractures characterized by wrinkling or buckling of the cortex. In ancient Greek architecture, a torus is a bump on the base of a column and these fractures, which occur on the end of long bones, take on such an appearance. They are unique to pediatric patients.