2025 Complete Prophecy Emergency Department RN Practice Test

The spiral leg fracture of the tibia in an 8-month-old is highly associated with child abuse due to the specific mechanism of injury and the age of the child. Spiral fractures typically occur from a rotational force, which is less common in infants who are not yet mobile and do not engage in activities that could lead to such injuries. When this type of fracture is observed in a very young child, particularly in the absence of a reasonable explanation for how the injury occurred, it raises significant concern for potential abuse. Infants are more likely to sustain fractures through falls, which generally results in less complex fracture patterns, thereby making spiral fractures a red flag for child abuse investigations.

In contrast, other types of fractures listed, such as a radius fracture or a clavicle fracture, may happen more frequently in various settings, including accidental injuries, and may not raise the same level of suspicion. Similarly, a healing fracture of the arm, while indicative of previous injury, does not specify the mechanism or cause as definitively as a spiral fracture in an infant does. Hence, the spiral leg fracture stands out as a strong indicator that warrants further evaluation for potential child abuse.