HIP PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN
Symptoms: pain in hip or knee; limp; limited movement of hip joint; slight fever (in case of acute synovitis).
Home care
Keep the child off his or her feet for three or four days.
Consult the doctor if the condition does not improve.
Precautions
- Pain in the knee may be a sign of a hip problem.
- A severe form of arthritis may be signaled by hip pain and a limp accompanied by high fever. If the child appears to have a hip problem and also has a high fever, call the doctor.
- Some hip problems can cause permanent deformity if left untreated.
Children are susceptible to joint pains, most of which come and go and are not serious – for example, sprains and growing pains. Occasionally children get arthritis, which may affect the hips. Dislocated hips sometimes occur in infants and toddlers. There are also three specific causes of hip pain that occur commonly in children.
Acute synovitis of the hip can be described as a bruise of the inside of the hip joint. It is usually associated with a viral illness and is nearly always a harmless condition that disappears by itself. It can occur at any age, but most frequently happens between ages two and six.
Legg-Calve-Perthes disease is a serious condition in which the upper end of the thigh bone (femoral head) softens and becomes deformed. No one knows why it happens, but it usually begins between ages four and ten years and affects boys more often than girls. If it is not treated, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease results in a severe and permanent deformity of the hip.
Slipped femoral epiphysis is another condition of unknown origin, but it is possible that it happens as a delayed result of an injury. It occurs most often in the teen years, usually in overweight (obese or muscular) children. It results in severe deformity if it is not treated.
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