This page contains answers to common questions
DoctorDad gets from his smallest patients and guests of this site. The answers
are meant for children of all ages.
- How do my bones grow ?
- Where can I find my "Funny Bone" ?
- What is a cast and when would I need one?
- Who is DoctorDad?
- What is an X-ray?
- When should I see a doctor?
Your bones are very special. They support your body
and protect your important body parts. Your ribs and sternum protect your
heart and lungs. Your skull (some people say your thick scull...only kidding)
protects your brain and your spine protects the nerves (spinal cord) that
controls your muscles.
Without your bones your could not stand up, run, jump
or grow tall. Without your bone you be one funny looking jelly-fish. Your
bones grow by adding length to each end in a special place called the growth
plate. Doctors call this the epiphesis. The growth occurs in special cartilage
cells. These cells grow larger and larger. Then they become calcified (full of
calcium) and turn into bone as the mature.
The grow plate cells are organized like a stack of
pancakes. Thin ones at the bottom thick ones at the top. When the thick ones
are about to turn into bone, The body adds more thin ones onto the stack. The
stack gets taller and the bone grows. The calcified pancakes, the new bone,
can be seen on X-rays. The newer thinner pancakes, the growth plate, can
not be seen on X-ray (since it does not have calcium in it yet.)
Since the grow plate is not well seen on X-rays, it
is hard to tell if the growth plate is working right or if it is
injured. Doctors sometimes have to check growth for some time (a year or
more) to see if there is a problem. Your doctor may use a growth chart to see
how you and your bones are growing.
Your "Funny Bone" is not bone at all. The
elbow has a special space on the inner edge for a nerve. This nerve is called
the ulna nerve and it is very close to the skin as it passes the inside of
your elbow. If you hit it or bang it on something hard it sends nerve signals
(or an electric shock type feeling) up and down the arm. The shock is usually
felt in the little finger and can run all the way up to the shoulder.
Don't hit the "Funny Bone" just for fun.
The ulna nerve is important; hitting it can cause loss of sensation to the
hand and/or decreased motor control of the small muscles of the hand.
What is a cast and why would I need
one?
A cast is a molded hard material (usually made of
plaster or now lighter weight fiberglass.) A cast is designed to hold a broken bone
very still. It has three main benefits. First, it protects the broken
limb. Second, it stops the bone from moving around while it heals. This reduces
pain and makes the broken limb more comfortable. Lastly, it allows the
doctor to mold the cast in a way that holds the bones straight. In many
cases, a good cast can avoid the need for surgery.
If you have a cast do not stick anything in the cast.
Cast sometimes are itchy and uncomfortable. Wires, pens, pencils and coat
hangers can scratch or cut the skin under your cast and cause a skin infection.
You cannot see your skin under the cast and this can cause real problems. You
don't want the scars and skin damage that these objects can cause.
Follow your Doctor's directions. If there are problems
with the cause (too tight, too loose or an increasing unexplained pain call your
doctor.)
` An X-ray is a special picture taken with a
special
machine that allows a doctor to see through your skin and take a picture of
what is inside. The machine uses X-rays a special high energy light to
"see" through your body. The result is a shadow that is light
when the light hits something hard and dense like your bones and dark then it
hits only soft stuff like fat.
The hand X-ray above shows the bones of the fingers, hand
and wrist. If the bone is broken a crack or dark line may be seen through the
bone on the X-ray. The brake is sometimes called a fracture. Wrist fractures
are common in children after a fall. Many times the treatment includes placing
a cast on the arm.
Most kids should see the doctor
regularly as they grow. There are many things that need to be checked as you grow.
The bones need calcium and vitamins to grow straight and strong. You doctor
can check the growth of your bones on a growth chart each year. If there is
a change in your growth chart (each child has their own growth chart), the
doctor can see if there is a medical reason that may need correction.
Children need vaccines to
protect against many diseases. Each vaccine is given at special time (age)
so that it can work the best with the least side effects. Doctors also
check for the health of your organs (heart, lungs and all that stuff
inside.) Your doctor may check for other things such as scoliosis
(curving of the spine) and near sightedness (the need for glasses.)
Children should also see the
dentist as they grow. The baby teeth hold the spaces for the permanent grown
up teeth. If the baby teeth are not healthy the grown up teeth may be
damaged or not have space to fit in your mouth. The dentist can help the
baby teeth do their job by keeping them healthy.
My
dad, has a
Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering at Columbia University School of
Engineering in 1979; Dad then attended the
Yale University School of Medicine and graduated in 1983. He completed his
Orthopaedic
residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City in 1988. As a visiting fellow
at Oxford University, he conducted biomechanical research on bone cement and
fracture healing. In 1989, before I was born, he did research on knees and knee ligaments at the sports
medicine fellowship of the University of California in San Diego. In 1998,
my dad received his MBA at the University New Haven. Each night on the
kitchen table, he did his homework while we did ours.
My dad has
treated college and professional athletes. He has
been court doctor at the U.S. Open. For the World Special Olympics, he served on
the Medical Organizing Committee. DoctorDad was directly responsible for medical
care of special Olympians from 105 countries. He has lectured both
locally and nationally on Orthopaedic problems, biomechanics and the
business aspects of medicine. My dad specializes in
Adult and Pediatric Sports Medicine, Arthroscopic Surgery and Orthopaedic
Trauma.
My dad enjoys treating recreational, competitive and
professional athletes of all ages. Most of all he loves to
spend time with his kids.
