Acute bowing fractures of the forearm in children: a frequently missed injury.

Acute bowing of the bones of the forearm in children following trauma has only recently been recognized as a clinical and radiographic entity. This type of injury has been overlooked in the past because of lack of familiarity with the mechanical properties of curved tubular bones. Absence of a fracture line and the usual findings associated with a healing fracture on radiographs has contributed to the lack of recognition of this condition. The mechanism of injury, clinical and radiographic findings, clinical implications, and classification of these elusive childhood fractures are discussed on the basis of a study of 13 children.