LIMPING IN CHILDREN

• Published in: Revista brasileira de ortopedia (English ed.) Vol. 44; no. 4; pp. 290 - 298
• Main Authors: Santili, Cláudio, Júnior, Wilson Lino, Goiano, Ellen de Oliveira, Lins, Romero Antunes Barreto, Waisberg, Gilberto, Braga, Susana dos Reis, Akkari, Miguel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Elsevier Editora Ltda 01.01.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Arthritis, Infectious; Arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid; Cerebral palsy; Child; Gait; Hip; Intermittent claudication; Legg-Perthes disease; Original; Osteochondritis dissecans; Synovitis; Cerebral palsy; Synovitis; Arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid; Gait; Osteochondritis dissecans; Legg-Perthes disease; Intermittent claudication; Child; Hip; Arthritis, Infectious
• ISSN: 2255-4971; 2255-4971
• DOI: 10.1016/S2255-4971(15)30156-7

Limping in children is a common complaint at pediatric, pediatric orthopaedic offices and in emergency rooms. There are several causes for this condition, and identifying them is a challenge. The older the patient, the better the anamnesis and more detailed the physical examination will be, enabling an easier medical assessment for searching the source of the disorder. In order to make the approach easier, three age groups can and should be considered. Among infants (1 to 3 years old), diagnosis will most likely be: transitory synovitis, septic arthritis, neurological disorders (mild brain palsy (BP) and muscular dystrophy), congenital hip dislocation (CHD), varus thigh, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and neoplasias (osteoid osteoma, leukemia); in the scholar age group, between 4 and 10 years old, in addition to the diagnoses above, Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, discoid meniscus, inferior limbs discrepancy and unspecific muscular pain; in adolescents (11 to 15 years old): slipped capital femoral epiphysis, congenital hip dislocation, chondrolysis, overuse syndromes, dissecans osteochondritis, and tarsal coalition. The purpose of this study is to provide an update on how to approach pediatric patients presenting with limping, and to discuss its potential causes.