A Patient's Guide to Limping in Children

Introduction

Our understanding of how the very complex structures of the shoulder work has improved tremendously as a result of motion studies of throwing actions. Being able to see (and analyze) movements in slow motion has expanded the understanding of normal and abnormal shoulder function during throwing activities. This information has helped shape today's injury prevention and rehab programs.

Over three million young children are victims of child abuse in the United States each year. One-third of all child abuse cases will suffer a bone fracture and need to see an orthopedic surgeon. That's why orthopedic surgeons must be aware of the possibility of child abuse and watch for it. We applaud you in trying to help get this information into the hands of someone who can make a difference.

With three million young children as victims of child abuse in the United States each year, hospital personnel see their fair share of child abuse. They are trained to recognize the most obvious signs. Skull fractures happen to be one of the most common signs of child abuse. Fractures of the long bones of the body are also suspicious.

Young athletes involved in throwing sports are often at risk for arm injuries. Baseball pitchers are especially in danger of experiencing repetitive microtrauma to the soft tissues. Over time, with enough stress, serious damage can be done to the shoulder and arm.

Young pitchers can stay healthy and strong by following guidelines set up by the Little League organization. They suggest keeping track of pitch count and pitch type, getting proper rest, and avoiding overparticipation. Equally important is a proper conditioning program.

There's a simple way to avoid shoulder injuries in Little League pitchers. In this article, sports medicine specialists present a few tips to help in this area. There are known guidelines for injury prevention. The first is: don't overdo it. Second, players, parents, and coaches must work together to keep track of the number of pitches a pitcher throws per practice, per game, per week, and per season.

Over three million young children are victims of child abuse in the United States each year. One-third of all child abuse cases will suffer a bone fracture and need to see an orthopedic surgeon. That's why orthopedic surgeons must be aware of the possibility of child abuse and watch for it. This study provides some added information to help them know what to look for that might raise the suspicion of abuse.

Stereoradiography is a technique for producing X-rays that give a three-dimensional view of an internal body structure (in this case, the spine). The stereoradiographs are taken with the patient in the standing position.

Scoliosis (curvature of the spine) is managed based on the type and severity of curve. A smaller curve (mild scoliosis) can be treated conservatively without surgery. A larger curve (moderate to severe scoliosis) often requires fusion to straighten it as much as possible and keep it from getting worse.