Soft tissue injury

Soft tissue injuries are a common reason for presentation to the emergency department. Children often suffer lacerations or lacerations to the head, arms or legs as a result of a fall.

Children can also sustain soft tissue injuries from sharp objects such as knives or broken glass. Deeper structures such as tendons, blood vessels or nerves are often affected.

Unfortunately, road traffic accidents in particular can result in very serious and extensive soft tissue injuries, including the amputation of individual limbs.

The symptoms depend on the type of injury. The types of injury vary greatly and range from superficial abrasions to extensive muscle and tendon injuries or destroyed bones.

Your child will be examined by experienced doctors on our emergency ward. Their mobility, sensation and blood circulation will be tested. To better assess the wound, a pain-relieving gel is occasionally applied to the wound. Depending on the localisation of the injury, an X-ray may be taken.

In some cases, particularly in young children, it is not possible to assess the extent of the injury directly in the emergency ward. An anaesthetic is then required with an examination in the operating theatre.

Depending on the injury pattern, treatment can be carried out directly in the emergency ward. Small wounds, especially in the head area, can be closed with tissue adhesive. Larger and irregular wounds must be sutured. In order to make wound care as painless as possible, we use a pain-relieving gel whenever possible, which can be applied to the wound to anaesthetise it.

If it is suspected that deeper structures are affected, wound treatment in the operating theatre under anaesthetic is often necessary.

In the rare cases of severe and extensive soft tissue injuries, multiple and complex surgical procedures may be necessary. For this purpose, we have Surgical Paediatric Trauma Centre (CKTZ) all technical specialists and technical equipment.

As a rule, wounds can be treated on an outpatient basis. If surgery is required late at night, inpatient monitoring may be necessary until the following day. Of course, longer hospitalisation may also be necessary in the case of extensive injuries. Children may be accompanied and supported by their parents at all times.

Superficial abrasions, even if they are extensive, usually heal without scars. In the case of soft tissue injuries that affect all layers of the skin, scars remain. These change over a period of up to two years so that, depending on the extent of the scar, follow-up treatment in our plastic surgery consultation takes place. In any case, we recommend consistent sun protection for one to two years with sun protection factor 50.

If a tendon injury has occurred, follow-up treatment is provided by our paediatric ergotherapy department, which can adapt the therapy to the special needs of young patients and thus achieve optimal healing processes and results.