Which type of fracture is typical in children due to their flexible bones?

The greenstick fracture is characteristic of pediatric injuries because children have bones that are more flexible and resilient compared to those of adults. Their bones can bend to a certain degree before breaking, resembling a young tree branch that bends and splinters rather than breaking cleanly. In a greenstick fracture, the bone is partially fractured and does not break all the way through, leading to a bend on one side while the other side remains intact. This type of fracture is common in young children due to the high collagen content in their bones and their ongoing growth, which allows for such flexibility.

In contrast, the other types of fractures mentioned are more typical in adults or in scenarios involving a significant amount of force. Transverse fractures involve a straight break across the bone, spiral fractures occur due to twisting forces, and comminuted fractures involve multiple fragments of bone. None of these types capture the unique bending characteristic and partial fracture seen in greenstick fractures in children.