Slideshow: Presentations of Orthopedic Conditions in Children

This slideshow illustrates different orthopedics conditions presenting in children. Each slide links to the full case report for more details.

An 11-year-old obese girl presented to the orthopedic clinic with a history of bilateral knee pain. The girl had visited an urgent care clinic 8 months prior for left knee pain. At that time, she reported 3 days of knee pain, followed by a slip on the ice with no contact with the ground, and then 3 additional days of knee pain.

She was limping and had tenderness over the medial knee, including the patella, and reported pain with knee flexion. Anteroposterior (AP) and lateral left knee radiographs at the time were notable for mild soft-tissue swelling with a joint effusion.

Read the full case here.

An 18-year-old man presents to your office with right knee pain. He says that he has had persistent knee pain for the past 3 weeks since he started playing soccer with his friends in an attempt to lose weight. He said that the knee swells at times, and occasionally, it feels like his knee is catching or locking.

The patient is a mildly obese young man in no acute distress. Vital signs are within normal limits. Passive range of motion of the right knee is mildly restricted in knee extension. There is a small joint effusion on the right.

Read the full case here.

An 8-year-old boy who recently emigrated from El Salvador was referred initially to a rheumatologist for concerns of arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, specifically with contractures of the distal interphalangeal joints. He was reported to also have cardiac anomalies.

A recent echocardiogram revealed polyvalvular dysplasia, mitral valve stenosis and regurgitation, and a bicuspid aortic valve. After the rheumatologic evaluation, the diagnosis of arthrogyposis multiplex was questioned.

Read the full case here.

A 9-year-old girl with no significant past medical history presented to the emergency department (ED) with a 6-month history of pain in her right knee and hip. She recalls that the pain had started in her right knee and had progressed up to her hip.

One month after the pain had begun, the girl underwent knee and hip radiography as ordered by her primary care provider, who reported that the results were normal. The patient continued to have pain despite the use of ibuprofen.

Read the full case here.

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