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Why You Should Not Ignore Hip Pain in Children

MEEFRO October 31, 2023

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Dr. Abhishek Saha of the Institute of Child Health, Kolkata Medical, revealed that they meet approximately 15-20 such kids each month. “Often, kids aged between three and 11, get injured while playing and parents ignore symptoms. Eventually, when the blood supply to the rounded head of the femur (thighbone) is temporarily disrupted, and the bone cells die, they come to us. At this stage, surgery is the only option. Surgery also has a poor outcome in those above eight years,” he added.

Meanwhile, Dr. Prabhat of RMLIMS’s pediatric orthopedics department revealed another congenital hip issue in children termed developmental dysplasia, which affects one in 1,000 children and causes the child’s hip to slide below normal (2).

“If a parent finds that a child’s hip makes a popping or clicking sound that is heard or felt, his legs are not the same length, or one hip or leg doesn’t move the same as the other side, they should immediately visit an orthopedician because if detected within six months, it can be cured by applying a plaster with the help of a belt for 18 months. However, if the disease is detected after that, surgery is required,” he said.

What is Septic Arthritis?

According to Dr. Amaar Aslam of Lucknow, underweight children, particularly twins or triplets, or those who have been in the intensive care unit, are more prone to develop a hip infection known as septic arthritis. This is due to a weakened immune system (3).

“If septic arthritis is not treated right away, the joint can start to form and the child’s hip movement can decrease. This is most common in children under 2 years old,” he added.

References:

Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease overview

Rodríguez-Olivas AO, Hernández-Zamora E, Reyes-Maldonado E. Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease overview. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2022 Mar 15;17(1):125. doi: 10.1186/s13023-022-02275-z. PMID: 35292045; PMCID: PMC8922924.

Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip

Nandhagopal T, De Cicco FL. Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip. 2022 Oct 3. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. PMID: 33085304.