The limping child: a clinical approach to diagnosis

The Limping Child: A Guide for the Trainees

Limping is a common presenting complaint in children. Despite this, it remains to be a diagnostic challenge for treating physicians due to an expanded list of etiologies. It arises from a spectrum of disorders, ranging from physiological variations of gait at different stages of development to systemic causes, such as inflammatory diseases or musculoskeletal infections. On rare occasions, non-musculoskeletal causes could result in limping. The diagnostic challenge increases in younger age children where a detailed physical examination that helps identify the exact source of pathology may not be possible. In older patients who have a well-developed gait cycle, the physical assessment might be easier. Clinical assessment in a child presenting with a limp includes gait analysis, which is essential to guide the appropriate request of diagnostic laboratory tests and imaging studies. In this paper, we provide a practical guide for a trainee in General Pediatric and Pediatric Rheumatology on an approach to a limping child, aiming to identify the common causes of limping and to describe normal and abnormal gait cycles. We also discuss other diagnostic considerations in the assessment of these children.

LIMPING IN CHILDREN

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.

An atypical calcaneal fracture in a child: a literature review concerning the treatment

Calcaneal fractures are considered uncommon accounting for 0.005-0.41% of all children fractures. Few reports concerning treatment are available. Most of these fractures are non-displaced/minimally displaced and are associated with a fall of less than 1 m. The aim of this case report was to discuss the diagnosis and treatment of a child calcaneal fracture, an atypical presentation despite the high energy mechanism of trauma. A 7-year-old child fell from a 5-m ladder with all his weight on his right heel. Significantly hind-foot reduced range of motion associated with a lateral/plantar calcaneal swelling and pain was found. Neurovascular examination and other parts of the body were normal. Radiograph showed an undisplaced calcaneal body fracture and computed tomography confirmed no subtalar joint involvement. A splint followed by plaster was applied. Weight bearing and deambulation were not allowed. After 4 weeks, no pain and limping was reported by the child’s parents. Plaster was removed and radiograph showed fracture consolidation. Patient had no complaints of pain, no restrictions in range of motion and normal walking. Limping in children is a difficult complaint to assess. Differential diagnoses of a calcaneal fractures should be performed, even without a history of trauma or a history of trivial trauma.

[The acutely limping child]

Acute limping may be the result of multiple pathologies in children. The differential diagnosis varies based on the age of the child. Irrespective of age, the initial imaging work-up includes AP and frog leg radiographs of the pelvis and ultrasound; MRI may sometimes be helpful. In children less than 3 years, infections and trauma are most frequent. MRI is the imaging modality of choice when osteomyelitis is clinically suspected. Between the ages of 3 and 10 years, transient synovitis of the hip and Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease are main considerations but infection, inflammation and focal bony lesions are also considered. In children over 10 years, slipped capital femoral epiphysis also is considered.