Paediatric

DDH

Developmental dislocation of the hip (DDH) is an abnormal formation of the hip joint. The ball at the top of the thighbone (femoral head) is not stable in the socket (acetabulum). Also, the ligaments of the hip joint may be loose and stretched. The degree of instability or looseness varies. A baby born with DDH may have the ball of his or her hip loosely in the socket, the looseness may worsen as the child grows and becomes more active, or the ball may be completely dislocated at birth. Treatment is easier and safer the earlier the diagnosis is made. Hips found normal at birth can be found abnormal later, but this is rare. Pediatricians screen for DDH at a newborn's first exam and at every well-baby checkup thereafter. A child's hip may not be dislocated at birth, which means the condition may not be noticed until a child begins to walk, by which time treatment is more complicated and uncertain.

Cerebral Palsy

If your baby has trouble learning to roll over, sit, crawl or walk, see your pediatrician. Delays in development and problems controlling movement or posture may be early signs of cerebral palsy (CP), a group of chronic disorders that stem from abnormalities or damage to the brain.

Clubfoot

Parents know immediately if their newborn has a clubfoot. A clubfoot occurs in approximately one in every 1000 births More common with boys than girls One or both feet may be affected. It is more common among pacific islanders. Initial treatment is casting and some needs surgical correction

Flatfoot

Normally foot has a medial arch.
IN 20%, this arch is absent and present witwh flat foot
Majority of the flatfoot is benign condition and does not require any treatment
Benign flatfoot does not interfere with any activities and should be considered as normal variation
Your doctor will recognise “Pathological flatfoot”

In toeing Gait

Intoeing means that the feet turn inward instead of pointing straight ahead when walking or running.
This is commonly found in children at different ages and for different reasons.
It almost always corrects without treatment as children grow older.
The three most commonly seen conditions include metatarsus adductus (curved foot), tibia torsion (twisted shin-bone) and increased femoral anteversion (twisted thigh bone).

Growth Plate Damage

Bones of children and adults share many of the same risks for injury.
However, a child's bones are also subject to a unique injury called a growth plate fracture.
Growth plate fractures often require immediate attention because the long-term consequences may include limbs that are crooked or of unequal length. Younger the patient, worse the prognosis In an established growth plate problem, various surgical options are available.

Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

Children sometimes complain about aches in their joints, which could result from a variety of causes. But if your child's joints stay swollen for six weeks in a row or longer, he or she may have juvenile arthritis (JA). JA is the most common form of arthritis in children. JA has several types, and all are different from rheumatoid arthritis in adults, which is why the term juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) Most of them require medical treatment as recommended by rheumatologist For many years it was believed that most children eventually outgrow JA. Now it is known that half of children with JA will still have active arthritis 10 years after diagnosis unless treated aggressively. In severe cases, JA can produce serious joint and tissue damage and cause problems with bone development and growth. In some cases, JA symptoms are mild and do not cause progressive joint disease and deformities.

Perthes' Disease

Perthes disease usually is seen in children 2 to12 years of age. It is five times more common in boys than girls. It was originally described nearly a century ago as a peculiar form of childhood arthritis of the hips. It is an development condition of unknown cause For some reason the head of the femur looses circulation temporarily For majority of cases, only observation is required.

Slipped capital Femoral Epiphysis

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is a disorder of the adolescent hip. It develops during periods of accelerated growth, shortly after the onset of puberty. More common in Pacific Islander and Maori Population. The ball at the upper end of the femur (thigh bone) slips off in a backward direction. This is due to weakness of the growth plate. Symptomatic SCFE, treated early and well, allows for good long-term hip function.

Osteochondroma
Also called Exostoses. Osteochondroma is an overgrowth of cartilage and bone near the end of the bone near the growth plate. This type of overgrowth can occur in any bone where cartilage eventually forms bone. Most commonly, it affects the long bones in the leg, the pelvis, or scapula (shoulder blade).