Torus fractures (also called buckle fractures) of the wrist are the most common type of broken bone in children affecting about 60K alone a year in the UK. It is the mildest form of broken bone in which the distal radius bone crushes (or buckles), instead of breaking.
National and international guidelines and practice for treatment varies. Doctors prescribe either the use of a plaster cast or hard splint to immobilise the wrist, or offer a bandage, but no 'standard' treatment has been agreed.
Daniel Perry, Associate Professor, Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery at Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology & Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS), University of Oxford explained: "It is a common belief amongst both families and clinicians that a fracture needs plaster cast immobilisation to ensure adequate healing. However, evidence suggested that a bandage or no treatment was just as effective. We started the FORCE trial because it was not clear how much difference each treatment made to a patient's recovery."