Suboptimal vitamin D status is common among otherwise healthy young children. Predictors of vitamin D status vary in infants vs toddlers, information that is important to consider in the care of these young patients. One-third of vitamin D-deficient participants exhibited demineralization, highlighting the deleterious skeletal effects of this condition.

MA 01605. Address reprint requests to P. K. Kleinman. 2p , t of Anatomy, lk'iiversity of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, MA 01605. Depending upon the size of the injury, the degree of involvement of the periphery of the bone, and the radiographic projection, a bucket-bundle lesion, corner fracture, or metaphyseal lucency will result In some cases, the radiographs may be normal even though there is significant histologic alteration. Although cartilaginous injuries may play a role in infant abuse, none of the specimens examined in this study evidenced injury through the germinal layers of cartilage.On the basis of the findings described here, it is recoinmended that postmortem analysis of all radiographically suspicious metaphyses be carried out in cases of suspected infant hOmiCide. If there are other clinical or pathologic indications to support abuse, a strong argument can be made for removal of radiologically normal but high-risk metaphyses.Instituting these procedures will require closer cooperation between the radiologist and the medical examiner, but the potential to Caffey, "After the application of injuring force to the bone, it is transmitted to these terminal levels of tightest attachment;where the injuring force is sufficiently strong, bits of cartilage and bone are torn off and displayed in a variety of patterns" [2]. Caffey also asserted that when a "small chunk" of bone is pulled from the margin of the metaphysis, it projects as a discrete metaphyseal fragment. This pattern is frequently

No abstract

No abstract

In recent years there has been a worldwide increased awareness that children are physically abused by their carers. Radiologists play a vital role in the detection of inflicted injuries. This article reviews the skeletal imaging findings seen in child abuse.