Bone, Joint, and Muscle Infections in Children

 

Bone, joint and muscle infections occur when bacteria or fungi spread to the affected area, often causing pain and inflammation. In children, bone and joint infections usually happen in the long bones of the arms and legs.

 

What is Bone, Joint, and Muscle Infections in Children?

Often referred to as “deep” infections, common forms include osteomyelitis and septic arthritis.

Children’s Health has extensive experience diagnosing and treating bone, joint and muscle infections. Our physicians tailor treatment to your child’s unique symptoms. When diagnosed early, our physicians can usually treat bone and joint infections with antibiotic medication. We can also provide minimally invasive surgery to clear out the infection if necessary.

 

What are the different types of Bone, Joint, and Muscle Infections in Children?

Osteomyelitis (bone infection): Osteomyelitis is a bacterial infection of a bone. In children, infection in the long bones of the arms and legs are most common. A child with osteomyelitis will be referred to an orthopedist (doctor specializing in treating bone and joint problems) for evaluation and treatment. Treatment can include surgery and intravenous (IV) or oral use of antibiotics.

Septic arthritis (joint infection): Infectious, or septic, arthritis is an infection in one of your child’s joints. The infection usually reaches the joints through the bloodstream.  Treating the joint infection promptly is important to prevent it from becoming a chronic, or long-term, disorder.  Treatment can include a needle aspiration of the hip joint, surgical drainage, and intravenous (IV) or oral use of antibiotics.

Pyomyositis (muscle infection):  Pyomyositis is a bacterial Infection of the skeletal muscles.  A child with pyomyositis will be referred to an orthopedist (doctor specializing in treating bone and joint problems) for evaluation and treatment. Treatment can include surgical drainage, and intravenous (IV) or oral use of antibiotics.

Post streptococcal reactive arthritis (PSRA): Arthritis of acute onset, symmetric or asymmetric, usually non-migratory, which can affect any joint and is persistent or recurrent. A child with PSRA will be referred to a Rheumatologist (A specialist in the non-surgical treatment of rheumatic illnesses, especially arthritis) for evaluation and treatment.

 

What are the signs and symptoms of Bone, Joint, and Muscle Infections in Children?

Children who have infections of their bones, joints or muscles often have the following:

• Fever
• Pain
• Swelling
• Redness
• Limited movement of the infected area — your child may limp or refuse to walk if the infection involves the legs or back
• Infants may be irritable and lethargic, refuse to eat, or vomit
• Warmth

Many children who have bone, joint, or muscle infections have had recent injuries. The symptoms of infection are often masked by those of the injury. Because parents assume the injury will get better over time, it may take them longer to notice the infection.

It is important to bring your child to a doctor immediately if symptoms are not quickly resolving at home.

 

How is Bone, Joint, and Muscle Infections in Children diagnosed?

Our doctors can look for signs of infection with a careful physical examination and by asking questions about symptoms. The key to successful treatment of bone infections and septic arthritis is prompt attention.

Tests that may help confirm a diagnosis and plan your child’s treatment include:

• Bone scans: Uses a small amount of radioactive substance to make detailed images of the bones
• Needle aspiration: Removes a sample from the bone to identify the bacteria causing the infection
• Blood tests and tissue cultures: Tests on your child’s blood, as well as fluid and /or tissue from the infected area, can help identify the bacteria or other organism causing the infection. This information about the infection helps your doctor determine the most effective ways to treat it.
• Imaging tests: Tests such as x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and ultrasound, provide your child’s doctor with pictures of the bones, muscles, and soft tissues in the affected area. Your doctor will look for swelling around bones and muscles, or fluid within the joints that are infected. This information helps your doctor when making the decision to treat the infection with antibiotics alone, or to perform surgery to help resolve it.

 

What are the causes of Bone, Joint, and Muscle Infections in Children?

Infections are usually caused by bacteria that are present in our normal living environment. The most common bacteria causing bone, joint, or muscle infections in children is Staphylococcus aureus (often referred to as “Staph” infections).

Bacteria can get into the body in a variety of ways. They circulate through the bloodstream until they reach a bone, joint, or muscle. Bacteria then leave the bloodstream and multiply in the bone, joint, or muscle tissues.

 

How is Bone, Joint, and Muscle Infections in Children treated?

Prompt diagnosis and treatment of all infectious disorders involving bone, joint, or muscle helps improve the outlook for your child. When infections are not treated early, they can damage tissues and cause chronic problems.

At Kids Orthopedic Clinic, we provide comprehensive care for a range of orthopedic disorders using a multidisciplinary approach that addresses all your child’s needs, from diagnosis through treatment and recovery. Our pediatric orthopedic physicians will create a personalized treatment plan for your child.

Treatment options include:

• Medication to help manage pain and swelling
• Antibiotics
• In serious cases, surgery to clean out the affected areas in and around the bone

 

 

Understanding Potential Causes of Back Pain in Younger and Older Children

 

Most adults experience back pain at some point during their lifetime. But there are many children who complain of back pain. The younger and older children experience back pain due to a variety of reasons – infection, injury and bone tumor. Some of the potential causes of child back pain can be serious. The child needs to be treated by a skilled orthopedic to alleviate back pain and heal quickly. Hence, it becomes essential for parents to understand the potential causes of back pain in children.

Potential Causes of Back Pain in Younger and Older Children

Muscular Back Pain

Most children experience severe back pain due to muscular injuries. Poor conditioning of muscles on the back, muscles overuse injury, muscle and ligament strains, and similar injuries often make a child experience back pain. The orthopedic identify muscular back pain through specific image study. The child can combat muscular back pain simply by taking adequate rest and changing his physical activities.

Spinal Stress Fractures

Often the stress fractures occurring in the spine make children experience severe back pain. But the children often failed to identify the injury in the early stages. Also, a child may suffer from various types of stress fractures. Specific stress fracture like spondylolisthesis can occur on both sides of the span and make the spinal column unstable. Often orthopedic treat spinal stress fractures through nonsurgical treatment. However, they have to perform surgery if the child back pain persists despite continuing nonsurgical treatment.

Disc Herniation of Spine

Disc herniation of spine is one of the serious causes of child back pain. It moves the disc material from its normal space and pushes the disc material against spinal cord and nerves. Hence, a child experiences back pain, along with bending and straightening his spine with difficulty. Often orthopedic perform surgery to relieve pressure on the spinal cord and nerves.  But some physicians try to treat disc herniation without surgery if the child does not experience severe and consistent back pain.

Spinal Infection

Some children experience back pain consistently due to infection of spinal discs or bone. The spinal infections can occur in both toddlers and adolescents. The orthopedic has to perform specific image tests to diagnose spinal infection and identify the exact location of the infection. They also treat the spinal infection initially with antibiotics. But the orthopedic have to perform surgery if the prescribed antibiotics fail to control the infection or the spinal structure is damaged due to the infection.

Abnormal Alignment of Spine

In addition to causing deformity, abnormal alignment of spine also makes children experience severe back pain. However, the spinal deformity may differ from one child to another. An orthopedic monitors the conditions of deformity continuously to determine the most appropriate way to treat abnormal alignment of spine. If the condition is not severe, they try to normalize spine alignment by making the child wear braces. But they have to perform surgery if the spine deformity is consistent and the deformity must be corrected permanently.

Spinal Tumor

Sometimes the tumors occurring in the spinal column cause severe child back pain. A variety of tumors can occur in the spinal column. Hence, the orthopedic can to decide the treatment plan according to each spinal tumor. But the parents can identify spinal tumors based on common symptoms like consistent back pain, night pain and weight loss. The orthopedic combine medication and surgery to treat the spinal tumors effectively.

Sometimes the physicians have to perform bone scanning to identify the exact cause of back pain in a child. Hence, the parents must consult a skilled orthopedic when the child complains of back pain consistently. The orthopedic will perform the required screening tests to identify the exact cause of child back pain and speed up the healing process.

 

Congenital Clubfoot: Symptoms And Causes

 

Clubfoot is one of the most common birth defects of the foot. Out of one thousand new-born babies, one to two have this deformity. This deformity affects a new-born’s muscles, tendons, and blood vessels. It is caused when the tissues that connect the muscles to the bone are not the usual size. In congenital clubfoot, one or both feet are rotated downward and inward. It is also known as congenital talipes equinovarus in medical terms, and the child born with this deformity can’t place their foot flat on the ground for walking. Clubfoot is not painful, but if this congenital disease is not treated on time, the foot will remain deformed forever. Mostly, clubfoot can be treated without surgery, but in severe cases, follow-up surgery is required later on.

 

Types of Clubfoot

Clubfoot can be divided into two major categories non-isolated clubfoot and Isolated (idiopathic) clubfoot. Isolated clubfoot is a common musculoskeletal birth defect. It generally occurs without any other medical problems. On the other hand, non-isolated clubfoot happens along with other serious medical problems, including arthrogryposis and spina bifida. Arthrogryposis is a joint problem, and spina bifida is a neural tube disorder. If anyone in your family has clubfoot, your baby will be at higher risk of congenital clubfoot. Also, boys are at a greater risk of developing clubfoot than girls. Babies also have a higher chance of developing clubfoot if they have another birth defect known as spina bifida. Women who had oligohydramnios during pregnancy are also at a higher risk of having a clubfoot baby.

 

Symptoms of Congenital Clubfoot

If your new-born baby has clubfoot, their foot will be twisted inward and downward. The affected foot or leg will also be slightly shorter. In some cases, the foot is so severely turned that it seems as if it is upside down. Clubfoot is a serious health concern that will not improve on its own without any treatment. A baby with untreated clubfoot will use the outer edge of their foot to walk, leading to painful calluses. But with proper treatment, clubfoot can be treated, and your baby can lead a normal life.

 

How can clubfoot affect your baby

Clubfoot will not affect your baby until your child starts to walk. Untreated club food can limit your baby’s daily activities. They might have difficulty walking, standing, and wearing their shoes. A child with clubfoot may walk on the top and side of their feet. Clubfoot can also lead to calluses which is a thick layer of skin that usually develops on the foot’s sole. It can also lead to arthritis, a disease that causes stiffness and painful inflammation of the joints.

 

Causes of clubfoot

The definite cause of clubfoot has still not been identified by the researchers. But according to a popular theory, clubfoot is caused due to environmental and genetic factors. Families with a history of clubfeet are at higher risk of this disease. If a pregnant woman has one child with clubfoot, their chance of having a second child with this deformity is 1 in 35. In some cases, clubfoot is also linked to spina bifida, a congenital deformity that mostly occurs when the spinal cord and spine have not formed properly. Sometimes it can be linked to a developmental dysplasia of the hip or a developmental hip condition called hip dysplasia. If one of the parents has clubfoot, there is a 1 in 30 chance that your baby will have it. In 20016, research was conducted in which it was shown for the first time that a gene variation that processes folate in the body might be the cause of clubfoot.