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My son broke his thigh bone in a bike accident a few weeks ago. His surgeon said he implanted a "plate" to help stabilize the bone. Will he need to have that plate changed as he grows?

This type of question is best answered by your son's surgeon because it addresses his type of fracture, his bone health, the type of plate used, and any complications that may occur.

In general, however, plates that are inserted to help a bone knit together, to heal, do not need to be removed, although some surgeons do choose to do so.

Reference: 

Daniel Hedequist, MD, Julius Bishop, MD, and Timothy Hresko, MD. Locking Plate Fixation for Pediatric Femur Fractures. In Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics. January/February 2008. Vol. 28. No. 1. Pp. 6-9.

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