Other specialties
Deformities at an early age can cause serious problems in the adult stage, for which an early diagnosis, exhaustive follow-up and, if necessary, action with various prostheses or surgery if the pathology so requires, is essential.
Children’s orthopaedics is a specialty of orthopaedic and trauma surgery that deals with injuries and musculoskeletal disorders in children and adolescents. It is also called children’s trauma or children’s orthopedic surgery. The most frequent examples of childhood injuries are foot deformities, gait disturbances, hip dysplasia, etc. These problems can be hereditary, congenital or
acquired. Foot deformities are one of the most common injuries in children.
As in other fields of medicine, early diagnosis can help prevent an orthopedic problem in childhood, which means better treatment and faster correction. Some of the diseases treated by this specialty are:
- Spinal deformities.
- Deformities of the arms or legs.
- Deformities produced in the locomotive system as a consequence of neuromuscular and metabolic, diseases, etc.
- Deformities of the feet (flat foot or pes cavus).
- Gait alterations (difference in length of lower limbs).
- Hip dysplasia
- Angular alterations of the lower limbs.
This specialty covers all the sub-specialties that adult orthopedics has, but the professionals who work in this discipline have specific training in congenital or acquired orthopedic problems in children and adolescents, since injuries change and the body responds differently depending on the age of the patient. It is precisely in the childhood stages when muscles and bones are in continuous growth and development. Therefore, the principles of orthopedics establish that it is essential to detect and make an early diagnosis of any orthopedic pathology for its proper treatment.
When a problem is detected in a child, it is important to consult a specialist in children’s orthopaedics. He can perform a complete physical examination to assess the ranges of joint mobility, identify areas of pain, look for joint effusion and check the stability of the joint. In addition, it is important that this specialist focus on the growth areas at the ends of the bones, the area most susceptible to injury in the individual’s first 20 years.
