What is it about ?
In children, the skeleton is growing and developing. Bones grow from the discs of the mating cartilages at the ends of the bones. These cartilaginous discs are softer than a fully grown bone or ligament. This is why children’s joint ligaments do not tear in an accident. Instead, there appears to be a sprain with a piece of bone that has torn off. Children also fracture the bone more often through the mating cartilage, dislocating the joints more often. We discuss here the most frequent lesions in children.
Ankle sprain
Usually it is ankle strain, with the foot turning inward. In this case, the lesions will appear mainly in the ligaments and the lateral malleolus (= the lump on the outer part of the ankle). Fractures are more common than torn ligaments. The main symptoms are pain and swelling. Therefore, in the event of severe symptoms, the doctor will always take an x-ray (x-ray) to distinguish between a ankle sprain and an ankle fracture. Treatment involves immobilizing the ankle for a short time with a support bandage. Then the child should start moving again quickly to avoid stiffness and weakening of the muscles.
Patella dislocation
It occurs mostly in children between the ages of 10 and 16. Often the cause is sudden and intense physical exertion with the knee bent (“genuflection”), for example when skiing. The child feels a stabbing and intense pain “which runs through the knee”. By straightening the leg, the kneecap can spontaneously return to its place with a “click” noise. The ball joint moves in the event of dislocation towards the outside. Immediately afterwards, the knee begins to swell due to the accumulation of blood in the joint. During the clinical examination, it is especially the inner edge of the kneecap that hurts. Here too it is useful to have an X-ray taken to rule out the fractures and ligament damage. If necessary, the doctor can remove the blood from the knee with a needle (knee puncture). Muscle strengthening exercises at the physiotherapist can be helpful.
Painful pronation
This is the dislocation of the head of the radius in the elbow. It is caused by a sharp, sharp blow to the arm. This sometimes happens when the child’s arm is pulled when he does not want to move forward or when he is struggling. This problem occurs mostly between the ages of 1 and 5 years. The main complaint felt is pain and the child will refuse to move the arm. Usually, the child holds the arm outward, with the elbow extended and glued to the body. If the elbow joint is swollen, it is likely an elbow fracture and an x-ray will need to be taken.
The doctor can simply push the head of the bone back into its seat, which is accompanied by a “clicking” sound. If this does not work, the child will have to wear the arm in a supportive sling for a few days. In most cases, the situation will spontaneously return to normal.
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