الفهرس 
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Abstract
A pathologicalfractureisdefinedas afracturethroughdiseased orabnormal bone,usuall yresultingfrom aforceinsufficienttoproduce afracturein normalbone.They areinfrequentinthepediatricpopulationbutcanoccur duetoalargespectrum ofdifferentconditions.Pathologicalfracturesmay resultfrom intrinsicorextrinsicprocesses.Intrinsicprocessesinclude conditionssuchas osteogenesisimperfectaandbone tumors,whereas extrinsic processesincludeprevioussurgicalintervention(biopsy,fixation etc.) andradiotherapy.(1)
Pathologicalfracturesmay befurtherclassifiedasbeingduetopathology which issolitary,multifocal(polyostotic), generalizedto thewholeskeletal system,or a generalizedconditionwithskeletalinvolvement.(2)ThecommonestcauseofpathologicfracturesinCaucasianchildrenin mostreportsis simpleorunicameralbone cyst.Thisismostcommoninthe humerusandproximalfemur.(3)Adetailedhistoryandthoroughphysicalexam isparamountinthe evaluationofany patientwithapathologicalfracture.Certainbonetumors aremorecommonatspecific ages.Adetailed painprofile of symptomsprior to thefractureshouldalsobe obtained inorder tofurthercharacterizethe lesion.Plainradiographsaretheinitialimagingmodality ofchoice.Atleast twoorthogonalviewsoftheaffectedboneshouldbe obtained. Thelocation ofthelesioninthebone and the number of lesionsare all importantfactorsinthe differential diagnosisofbone lesions.Other diagnosticmethodsarecomputed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), bone scan and biopsy. Almostalllesionswillrequirebiopsyat some point.