Orthopaedic trauma in children less than three years old: the orthopaedist's and pediatrician's problem.

A retrospective study of children under three years old with orthopaedic trauma (fractures and soft-tissue injuries of the extremities) from a selected five-year period (1987-1991) was performed in Pirogov Emergency Medical Institute in Sofia, Bulgaria. This study confirmed that these kinds of injuries have an excellent prognosis owing to the specific features of the growing skeleton; however, this excellent prognosis in small children is not guaranteed unless pediatricians, orthopaedists, and parents collaborate closely. Particularly, pediatricians in primary care settings play an especially important role in this respect. Pediatricians need an exact approach and protocol.