Limping children, especially young toddlers might not be able to communicate verbally, and they can be frightened by the medical setting. Your child may want to sit on your lap or hold your hand while being examined, especially if they are in pain.
If you don’t recall seeing your child fall or cry, your healthcare provider may discuss the possibility that someone may have hurt your toddler—such as an adult or another child. It is important that you don’t allow questions about possible abuse to put you on the defensive, as the purpose is to try to protect your young child from further harm. These concerns may be raised when there are multiple broken bones or evidence of multiple healed broken bones.
Infections within a joint are serious medical issues, and if left untreated, a bone or joint infection may cause permanent damage, potentially leading to complications such as early arthritis of the joint.
Treatment of joint infections may require urgent surgery and intravenous antibiotics.
Tests can be done to identify fluid accumulation in the joint, and often a sample of fluid will be obtained to look for the infection.
The most common type of limp-inducing inflammation is called transient synovitis, a condition that affects the hip joint, most commonly in boys. The symptoms mimic infection and are treated with anti-inflammatory medications.
Imaging tests including x-rays, CT scans, and MRIs can be helpful in identifying a bone tumor and a biopsy may be necessary.
Perthes disease is a condition that occurs when the blood supply to the bone of the ball-and-socket hip joint is impaired.
Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is a problem in older children (10-14) when the growth plate of the hip slides into an abnormal position. All of these hip conditions can lead to the development of a limp in a child.
