Question

A four-month-old presents with a nondisplaced femur fracture after reportedly rolling off of the changing table. What is the most likely cause of this injury?

1) Child abuse
2) Osteogenesis imperfecta
3) Vitamin D deficiency
4) Accidental injury

Answer 1

The most likely cause of a nondisplaced femur fracture in a four-month-old infant is child abuse, although conditions like Osteogenesis imperfecta and rickets due to vitamin D deficiency could also be considered.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most likely cause of a nondisplaced femur fracture in a four-month-old who reportedly rolled off of a changing table is child abuse. While conditions like Osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease could also be a possibility, this is a rare hereditary condition characterized by easily fractured bones with some types presenting in early infancy. Similarly, vitamin D deficiency causing rickets could lead to weaker bones and fractures, but rickets usually presents with additional signs of defective bone mineralization and deformities, and common accidental injury is less likely to cause such a serious fracture in a baby without underlying bone pathology.