Fifteen-minute consultation: Modern diagnostic approach to the child with recurrent fractures

Children and young people presenting with recurrent fractures pose a diagnostic challenge for clinicians. Such patients require early referral to a tertiary paediatric centre with bone specialists and a multidisciplinary team taking a comprehensive, modern approach to unravel the underlying causes. Using a guiding diagnostic algorithm, incorporating a thorough medical history, informed clinical examinations, targeted laboratory tests, state-of-the-art imaging and molecular genetic analyses, specialists can expedite the identification of underlying causes of bone fragility in children.The modern diagnostic approach integrates the latest evidence-based guidelines and technological advancements, thus enabling a swift and effective management strategy. This fifteen-minute consultation equips healthcare professionals with the necessary information to optimise history taking and basic case evaluation and provides insights into procedures at tertiary bone centres. Good collaboration among general paediatricians, orthopaedic surgeons and paediatric bone specialists ultimately enhances the care and outcomes for children with recurrent fractures.