If your child gets hurt, they may think that they've broken a bone.  But how do you know if it's really broken?

Valerie Filer who broke her arm playing football says "I had the ball and someone pulled me down and I fell on top of their knee and I heard a crack."

Pediatric orthopedic surgeon John Churchill says that the end result for Valerie was a fractured arm, which is not uncommon.  "We see up to probably 10-20 children a day with fractures."

Dr. Churchill also says that your child's bone may be broken if a snapping sound was heard during the injury, they feel severe pain, have swelling, inability to use the limb, or you can see that it is out of position.  Certain activities are notorious for causing broken bones in children.  "Monkey bars with little kids, trampolines are common ones.  When you get into teenage boys, you get into motor cross and ATV's".

Valerie had to wear a cast for about a month but that wasn't enough to stop her from playing one of her favorite sports.  "No broken bones or nothing can stop me from playing football because it's so awesome and I love it."

If your child breaks a bone that pierces the skin, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.  An open fracture is the most dangerous type of break.

A broken bone in a child is different from adults because young bones are more flexible and have a thicker covering making them better able to absorb shock.  Children's fractures rarely require surgical repair.