Frequently Asked Questions About: Child Orthopedics
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  • My 17-year old son is on a high school water polo team. Several of the players have developed osteochondritis dissecans (OCD). How can we prevent this in our child?
  • My 3-year old daughter sits with her legs twisted out to the side in a position called ‘W’ sitting. The pediatrician has told us to discourage this. What difference does it make?
  • My 9-year old son has wing bones that stick out quite a bit. I don’t notice this in my 7-year old daughter. What causes it?
  • My nephew lives in the New York City area. He broke his arm while out skate boarding. Now the school won't let him back in. This seems like discrimination because he's a "skate head." What can we do about it?
  • My sister had twin boys about a year ago. One of the boys had a nerve injury that keeps him from using his right arm and hand fully. I noticed I can lift his hand over his head but he can't do it himself. Why not?
  • My 10-year old son broke his leg playing football. He had to have surgery and is now in a cast with crutches. What's the best way to make sure he doesn't miss too much school?
  • My three-year old daughter had a brachial plexus injury at birth. She's had physical therapy and is slowly getting better but she still can't lift her arm over her head. Will this ever improve?
  • My niece was just born last month. There was a difficult delivery and they say she has Erb's palsy. What is this and what should we expect?
  • My 11-year old daughter was diagnosed with spondylolisthesis of the L5 vertebra. Will this heal if she stops gymnastics?
  • My 13-year old daughter has spondylolysis. They say it's usually caused by trauma or overuse in athletics. She hasn't done anything like this. Could it be hereditary? Several other family members have this problem, too.
  • My son had a spine X-ray looking for scoliosis. They found something called spondylolisthesis instead. Now they want to do a CT scan. What more can that show us?
  • My 13-year old daughter has a severe scoliosis. Bracing won't be enough. She's going to have a spinal fusion. I understand they use metal rods to hold the spine together until the bone graft fuses. The rods are left in and aren't removed later. Will there be any problems years from now from the metal in these rods?
  • My 12-year old daughter is a very good soccer player. She manages to hit the ball with her head frequently during practices and games. I'm worried about head injury and concussions. How likely is this?
  • I notice my young children have large sway back posture and big bellies. Is this a sign of weak abdominal muscles? Should they be doing an exercise program for this?
  • My son has Legg-Perthes disease. His grandfather had this problem too. He ended up with hip joint replacements on both sides. Is that typical with this condition?
  • My 15-year-old daughter is going to have a second surgery on her knee. The first operation wasn't successful because she had too much pain to do her exercises afterwards. When my mother had shoulder surgery last year, they sent her home with a pump to control her pain. Could my daughter get something like this?
  • I'm 14 years old and have been playing the position of pitcher ever since I was 8. I notice that my pitching arm opens up much more than my nonpitching arm. I know it's because I move my arm in that position so often. But what's really happening inside the shoulder to do that?
  • My 15-year old daughter seems to sprain her ankles easily. Would a brace or taping help or do these just weaken the ankle more?
  • I noticed my 13-year-old daughter has a large swayback posture. Is she likely to have back problems when she's older?
  • Our eight-year old son shows a natural ability for wrestling. Is this too young to start? What about injuries at this age?
  • My 17-year old son tore his ACL playing soccer. The doctor told us it was torn before the MRI confirmed it. Why did we need the expensive MRI test if the doctor already knew what was wrong?
  • My 15-year-old son has come up with one problem after another. First it was low back pain and headaches. Now it's asthma. Are these common problems during the teen years?
  • My 14-year old son was just diagnosed with "spondylolysis." Will this heal on its own?
  • My 13-year old daughter wants to ride horses. Her father is in a wheelchair from a spinal cord injury after a car accident. He's afraid she'll injure herself riding and is against the idea. What are the chances of this happening?
  • My 14-year old son was in a BMX race and broke his leg. He's in a cast, but is it safe to still run a few practice courses?
  • What causes Little Leaguer's Shoulder?
  • What is "Little Leaguer's shoulder?"
  • My 14-year-old son has Little Leaguer's shoulder. Right now he's being treated with rest. It's been four weeks of rest without playing baseball and his symptoms are still the same. Will he have to have surgery?
  • What causes Little Leaguer's Shoulder?
  • What is "Little Leaguer's shoulder?"
  • I notice my 9-year old son's shoulder blades stick out. No one else in our family has this problem. Should we do anything about it?
  • My 13-year-old son was just diagnosed with spondylolisthesis. The doctor warned us that damage to the disc is also possible with this condition. Is there any way to know for sure if this is happening?
  • Have you ever heard of a growth plate coming apart? My 12-year old daughter had an MRI for a back injury. The results showed separation of the growth plate where she hurt herself. What could be causing this?
  • My 14-year-old daughter competes in gymnastics on the balance beam. After injuring her ankle, she's gone back to practice. Now it seems like she can't keep her balance and her hip on the same side is starting to bother her. What's the connection?
  • I'm planning on homeschooling my three children starting with the oldest this fall. Over the summer, I'm going to check garage sales for school desks. How can I tell if the desk fits each child?
  • My two boys ages 10 and 12 are in elementary and middle school. The 10-year-old is much smaller than his older brother, yet they both use desks that are exactly the same size. Is there any danger in using a desk that is too big or too small for the student?
  • I am an elementary school nurse. It's come to my attention that our students aren't getting enough physical activity during recess. Are there any programs to help us with this?
  • Which is more important for students carrying a backpack: wearing it over both shoulders or decreasing the amount of weight inside?
  • I see from the news that there's concern about young students carrying heavy backpacks. I went to school 30 years ago and we never used backpacks or even a book bag. What do they carry in them that's so heavy?
  • I don't want my child exposed to any more X-rays than absolutely necessary. The doctor wants to do X-rays to look for curvature of the spine in my 13-year old daughter. Isn't there some other way around this?
  • What is "Little League elbow?" I hear this term used by the coaches at ball practice.
  • I've been volunteering as an athletic trainer for Little League teams for the past 10 years. I notice the younger kids have problems with pain and soreness on the inside of the elbow. The older kids complain more of pain along the outside of the elbow. Why the difference?
  • I've been coaching Little League for almost 30 years. It seems like more and more kids are coming up with various injuries, especially "pitcher's elbow" or "Little League elbow." Are there any studies to say why this is happening?
  • My 13-year-old son tore his left ACL. The doctor wants to delay surgery until my son's bones stop growing. Is this really necessary? He'll miss an entire season of baseball this way.
  • My 14-year old daughter injured herself in a dismount from the balance beam in gymnastics. They think she'll need surgery to repair a torn ACL, but they say she isn't "skeletally mature" yet. How can they tell this?
  • My 14-year old son has been diagnosed with proximal humeral epiphysiolysis. Can you explain what this is?
  • Our little league team has gone through a dozen pitchers in a year. They keep getting injured. I don't see this happening on other teams. What could be causing this?
  • The coach of my daughter's soccer team says she's on the bench for a week with a noncontact injury. What does that mean?
  • Our five-year old son was just diagnosed with Legg-Perthes' disease. So far he's only had X-rays taken. Would an MRI offer any better information at this point?
  • My sister and her husband have just found out their son has Perthes' disease. We don't want to ask too many questions. Can you tell us what the prognosis is for this disease?
  • What's the most likely course of treatment for Perthes' disease?
  • My 2 1/2 year old child can finally stop wearing her Pavlik harness. This was to keep her hip from dislocating because of a shallow hip socket. My question is: shouldn't she wear a splint or something at night? Can we really go from wearing the harness to not wearing the harness after two full years with the harness on?
  • My six-month old grandson has just been diagnosed with developmental hip dysplasia. What can be done about this problem?
  • We've been told our child will need surgery for a chronic hip problem called dysplasia. When's the best time to do this surgery? He starts school next year. Should we do it before school starts and risk delaying entry? Or wait until the summer after his first year?
  • Our four-year old has been treated conservatively for the last three years for a hip problem called developmental dysplasia. It didn't work. Now he has a squashed hip joint and loss of blood supply to the top of the thighbone. Doctors are doing more testing. What's likely to happen?
  • My son is going in for an X-ray to see if he has one leg longer than the other. The doctor isn't sure if the leg difference is in the bone or the soft tissues. Would there be any advantage to ask for a CT scan or an MRI?
  • My 2-year old daughter has one leg shorter than the other. They say she'll probably outgrow it. They will watch it carefully using X-ray studies every six months. I'm concerned about exposure to radiation. Is there some other way to measure this without X-rays?
  • Our 14-year old son is having a lot of back pain that's keeping him from playing on his soccer team. X-rays were considered "normal" for his age. What other tests can be done? I hate to send him back on the field if there's something more serious wrong.
  • Our daughter injured her spine while playing soccer. She thought it happened when she kicked the ball especially hard one time. It seems like that would cause a leg injury, not a back problem. Can you explain this?
  • My son plays soccer for a regional middle-school team. His doctor has advised him to stop playing and rest for a back injury. How long will he need to follow this plan?
  • I've been trying to figure out if my children are overweight. I used the BMI formula for myself. Can I use the same guidelines for my kids?
  • My 13-year old son was just diagnosed with slipped capital femoral disease. He is nearly 100 pounds overweight, which is a problem but it seems like anything that happens to him is blamed on his weight. What's the connection here?
  • I have this snapping, clicking problem with my hip. I can't figure out if it's coming from inside or outside the joint. How can a doctor tell what's going on?
  • My fourteen-year old son has had a painful hip for as long as I can remember. He has finally been diagnosed with a condition called coxa profunda. What is this?
  • Our daughter has been diagnosed with a navicular stress injury of both feet. We've never heard of such a thing. Is this a rare condition? What can be done to prevent this problem from happening again?
  • Do left-footed soccer players have a playing advantage? Are they more or less likely to get injured? Does it even matter?
  • Now that more girls are playing soccer can we expect to see more injuries? Do girls get injured more often than boys in these games?
  • My 15-year old daughter had a bad fall while horseback riding. The orthopedic surgeon says she not only broke her elbow, she has what's called a terrible triad. What does this mean?
  • Our five-year old daughter just had surgery last week to release a trigger thumb. The doctor says everything went very well and she's doing fine. What should we look for in the future to suggest there might be a problem developing?
  • My wife is freaking out because one of our twin boys has a trigger thumb. The pediatrician says she want to treat it with "careful neglect". My wife is beside herself worrying. Is there anything else that can be done?
  • Our three-year-old son just had surgery to release a trigger thumb. As parents we're supposed to pull the thumb back and keep it moving. I just can't bear to do it. Does it really matter?
  • My 12-year old daughter was just diagnosed with a problem called slipped capital femoral epiphysis. I thought this is a problem for boys, not girls. How could my daughter get it?
  • I try to get my teenage girls to drink more milk or eat low-fat dairy products. I know it's good for their bones. They tell me they're "all done growing up and don't want to grow out". I'm thinking of their future when they're my age facing osteoporosis. What can I say to convince them otherwise?
  • My 16-year-old son is taking shop class in high school and I'm very worried. The shop teacher insists on safety measures but he is one adult to the 20 kids in there. How can he possibly keep them all safe?
  • I'm on the school board for our community. I've just been assigned to a committee to look into school safety. At first I thought this meant stranger danger, bomb threats, and gun control. But now I realize accidents and injuries are part of the whole package. What sorts of things should I be thinking about along these lines?
  • Our son had an accident in shop class that cost him a fingertip and some skin, nerve, and tendon damage. We live in a medium-sized town (100,000 population) with only one hand surgeon. There's no specialty hand clinic. Is it worth the time and expense to go to a larger place with more specialized services?
  • Our 7-year old child has been diagnosed with osteochondritis dissecans. Isn't this pretty young for a problem like OCD?
  • My 8-year old daughter has developed a snapping knee joint. We can see and hear it. What in the world is this?
  • I fell going down the stairs at church and dislocated my collarbone. It's not healing and I'm in constant pain. Should I have surgery to reconstruct the bone and joint? The doctor doesn't seem convinced it will help.
  • After dislocating my collar bone I have a big bump to show for it. Should I leave it or have surgery to remove it?
  • Our 14-year old daughter got thrown from a horse and dislocated her collar bone. The doctor says just let it heal on its own. Is this really the best advice? Isn't it better to fix it now while she's young?
  • What's a Pavlik harness? Our first granddaughter has a hip problem and must wear this for up to six months (or more). I don't recall ever hearing about anything like this with our kids.
  • Our newborn baby has a hip problem called DDH. She's already wearing a special splint and she's only two weeks old. Couldn't this really wait until she's at least a month old? It seems so awful to keep her all trussed up like this.
  • I'm finding out our son with his developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a rare bird. Everything I've seen says girls outnumber boys with this problem. Is there any proof that boys have a better or worse result with treatment?
  • When I watch my son wind up and throw the ball when he's pitching, I can't help but wonder how that extreme motion is going to affect his shoulder joint years from now. Are there any studies to show what happens inside the joint?
  • Our eight-year-old daughter fell while skiing and broke the bottom of her humerus where it attaches into the elbow. The doctor says there may be some nerve damage but it should get better with time. What are the odds here? How likely is it that she has nerve damage and how many kids with this problem DO get better?
  • Do children ever have lumbar disc problems?
  • Our 16-year old daughter had spinal fusion for a severe scoliosis. She had to wear a brace for four years before the operation. She was very surprised and dismayed to find out she still has to wear a brace. Why is this necessary if her spine is fused?
  • We can't get our daughter to wear her brace for scoliosis. What will happen if she doesn't wear it enough?
  • When our daughter was diagnosed with scoliosis they told us she would probably grow out of it. Now her curve is 40 degrees and she's in a brace. What if this doesn't work?
  • I'm 16-years old and have had scoliosis for the last 4 years. Is it true that once I stop growing the curve will stop getting worse?
  • We were just told that our 12-year old daughter has adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). What kind of problems can we expect to face in the future with this condition?
  • Our 15-year old daughter has scoliosis of unknown cause. Her main curve is about 30 degrees. The secondary curve is half that. Right now she's being treated with bracing and electrical stim. What happens if we don't have surgery to correct the curve?
  • Our three year old son has just been diagnosed with something called infantile idiopathic scoliosis. I know it means there's a curve in the spine but what else can you tell me?
  • Our six-year old child has severe scoliosis. She has already had four operations and is expected to have many more. Right now they are using special rods on either side of the spine that "grow" along with her. An operation is needed every time the rods must be lengthened. I've heard there's a way to lengthen the rods by remote control. What can you tell me about this?
  • Our nine-month old child has been diagnosed with scoliosis. We're worried about SIDS so we put him on his back to sleep. Could this be causing the spine problem?
  • My 15-year old son has been diagnosed with OCD of the knee. He's in a cast and on crutches. The nurse warned us about "cast disease," and suggested a short course of physical therapy to avoid this. What is it?
  • What is a cheilectomy? I'm looking for any treatment that might help our 10-year old son who has Perthes disease. I saw a report from Korea about using cheilectomy for Perthes disease. Could this help our boy?
  • Our eight year old son has Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. I've done a lot of reading but can't figure out why this problem only affects the hip. Can you explain?
  • Our 13-year old daughter has been diagnosed with slipped capital femoral epiphysis. So far it's only affecting her left hip. There's been some talk about pinning the right hip to prevent it from slipping. Should we go ahead with this?
  • My sister's child is having spinal surgery for scoliosis. The hospital has asked family member to donate blood ahead of time for the operation. Is this a common practice? Will she really need that much blood?
  • My nephew has just been diagnosed with neuromuscular scoliosis. We don't want to ask the family too many questions. Can you tell us what causes this problem?
  • My daughter is a high school gymnast. She has sprained her right ankle twice now putting her out of competition for a whole season. The physical therapist is helping her with hip strength and balance. What does the hip strength have to do with it?
  • For a while there was a big push to find out why female athletes have more knee ligament injuries than males. What was the final conclusion to all the studies done?
  • Our 10-year old son fell during a soccer game with half the opposing team on top of him. He broke his femur in three places. The surgeon used flexible rods down through the bone to hold it in place during healing. Will these rods have to come out later?
  • Help please...we need some quick answers. Our daughter has a fracture in the thighbone that needs surgical treatment. The doctor is talking about using a metal plate and screws to hold it in place while she heals. She'll be in a big cast, too. We live in a very isolated, rural area with few family and friends to help out. Isn't there an easier way to treat this problem? I don't know how we can manage.
  • Years ago our nine-year old daughter had an ankle fusion because of a foot and ankle deformity. Are they still using this operation?
  • My 15-year old son usually sleeps like the dead. But lately he's been getting up at night complaining of back pain. He's not involved in sports and probably spends too much time in front of the TV. Could this be the cause of the problem?
  • Our 11-year old daughter has been complaining of back pain off and on now for months. The doctor says it's just growing pain but she hasn't grown an inch and I'm getting worried. Is there some kind of test that could be or should be done at this point?
  • Our second child was born six months ago. It's obvious there's something wrong with the tips of his thumbs. In both thumbs, the end of the thumb is tilted toward the other hand. What should we do about this? Will he outgrow the condition?
  • Our two-year old daughter was born with a thumb deformity. The tip of her left thumb angles off to one side. The doctors are saying the cause is an abnormal triangle-shaped growth plate. We know surgery is probably needed. What will they do?
  • Our six-month old son seems to prefer to keep his right thumb tucked inside his palm. We can open his hand but he doesn't open it on his own. Will he outgrow this problem?
  • Our 12-month old daughter has been diagnosed with a trigger thumb. In fact she has this condition on both sides. What's keeping her from straightening her thumbs out?
  • My 13-year old daughter has what's called a snapping hip syndrome. She's on a soccer team and the pain is starting to affect her participation. What can be done about this? Will she outgrow it?
  • I'm really worried about my 16-year old son. Every night he wakes up with back pain around midnight. He can't get back to sleep no matter what we do. Is this a sign of stress or just growing pains?
  • My 13-year old daughter has started complaining of back pain. It seems to come and go. How can I tell if this is stress, hormonal changes, or something more serious?
  • When I was growing up I had a hip problem called Perthes. Now that I have children of my own, I'm wondering if there's a chance they could get this condition. Is it hereditary?
  • Our eight-year-old boy has Perthes disease. The plan is to do surgery to rebuild the hip socket. How is this going to help?
  • My 15-year old daughter has been diagnosed with a slipped hip condition. The information I've found on this problem says it's mostly black and Hispanic boys that are affected. Our daughter is not only female but also white. How could she get this problem?
  • My sister's 12-year old son has developed a condition called SCFE. What are the chances that my 11-year old son will get this too?
  • Our 14-year old son injured his shoulder and his elbow playing baseball. We think he's too young to be playing as hard or as long as the coaches put him in for. Are there any guidelines for this age group?
  • My son is very involved in sports, especially baseball. As a pitcher he's out there every day practicing and never misses a game. He wants to participate in a showcase game but the coach is discouraging it because he's only 14 years old. What's the big concern here? With all the competition out there isn't this his chance to be discovered?
  • Our four-year old started limping and complaining of hip pain. Blood tests were done and a diagnosis of septic hip arthritis was made. I understand the final diagnosis was made on the basis of a test called C-reactive protein. This is the same test I had done to diagnose heart disease. How does it work to test for both these things?
  • Our daughter may have an infected hip. The doctor is running tests to see if it’s a septic hip or synovitis. What's the difference between these two things and how can they tell which it is?
  • We need some advice quickly. Our 11-year old son broke his forearm (both bones) in a soccer match when a large child fell on him. The arm can be put in a cast but the bones don't line up exactly. The other option is surgery to line them up. There's a good chance he'll heal fine without the surgery. Should we take the risk?
  • Our daughter broke her arm while doing back flips in gymnastics. She's in a cast now, and the doctor wants to take X-rays every week or every two weeks. She's 13-years old and I'm concerned about the exposure to the X-rays. Why do they need to keep taking X-rays?
  • Our 15-year old son is hoping to be an Olympic diver. He's currently training at the U.S. Olympic training center in Colorado. We just found out that he has a condition called spondylolysis. The team physician says it may be related to his diving and he has to wear a brace and stop training for a time. How long will this take? Can he go back to diving?
  • Our twelve-year old daughter has a back problem called spondylolisthesis. She's done everything the doctor has told her to do faithfully. She still has back pain that keeps her in bed somedays. Surgery may be the next step. How do we decide?
  • Our 12-year old son was just diagnosed with a slipped disc. I've never heard of this in children. Could the diagnosis be wrong?
  • Our 18-year old son has finally been diagnosed with Scheuermann's disease after a long process. His spinal curvature has gotten worse in the last few years with a recent growth spurt. Is this likely to level off now? Or will he get worse as he gets older?
  • Our 16-year old daughter has been having serious back and leg pain. At first we thought she had scoliosis but an MRI showed a herniated disc and slipped growth plate in the spine at the same level. Her father has had two operations for disc problems. Is this hereditary?
  • Our 12-year old daughter is having more and more back pain. She's been seen by the family doctor several times but it's not clear what is the problem. What kinds of tests can be done to figure this out?
  • Our 15-year old son had spinal fusion for a high-grade spondylolisthesis. Evidently the surgery was a failure. The fusion didn't take and the X-rays show movement where there shouldn't be motion. What do we do next?
  • Our 13-year old son developed a problem in his elbow called osteochondritis dissecans from pitching too many baseball games. The orthopedic surgeon is recommending an operation called autologous osteochondral grafting What can you tell us about this?
  • Our teenage old son developed a problem in his left elbow called osteochondritis dissecans. After months of treatment that didn't work, he finally had some bone plugs taken out of his knee and put into his elbow to help it heal. The elbow is fine but now the knee is a problem. How long is that going to take to heal?
  • I've heard that physical activity and exercise can improve children’s grades. It makes sense but how does it work?
  • Our school is talking about getting rid of PE classes for the sixth graders. They've already dropped PE for the seventh and eighth grades. Isn't there proof somewhere that PE helps improve academic performance?
  • For two years I suffered greatly with patellar tendinitis. Physical therapy helped a little but I gradually got worse and worse. This past summer I had surgery to clean out the inflammation and get healing back on the right track. It's been six weeks and I'm still having a lot of pain and discomfort around the tendon. Will this ever go away?
  • I'm starting my senior year in high school with a bad case of jumper's knee. I'm also the captain of our volleyball team. I really want to play this one last year. Therapy hasn't helped. Should I try steroid injections?
  • My 10-year-old daughter started complaining of hip pain and spiked a temp. We took her to the pediatrician who took an X-ray and did some lab studies. The X-ray didn't show anything so an MRI was ordered. The MRI didn't show anything either but the lab tests were positive for some type of infection. Should we have a second MRI done before putting her on antibiotics?
  • Our five-year-old son was recently diagnosed with an infection of his sacroiliac joint. The doctor told us this is a fairly uncommon condition. What causes it?
  • I have three children who are considered obese. We come from a good German background with large bones and large body frames. One of my children has Blount disease, which they tell me is from being overweight. Why don't the other two have this same problem?
  • I come from a large African American family. Several of my nephews have been told they have Blount disease. What are the chances my boys will have this problem, too?
  • Our child was born with a clubfoot deformity. We've seen several different doctors and each one gives us a different grade for the feet. One doctor has said it is 'poor.' Another doctor told us the results after surgery were 'good.' How can there be so much difference from one clinic to another?
  • My son has been diagnosed with clubfeet. His toes seem to point inward and his foot isn't exactly straight. I took him to a special clinic for this problem. There were other children there with "clubfoot" but their feet didn't look anything like my child's. Are there different kinds of clubfoot?
  • Have you ever heard of a Baker's cyst from Lyme disease? Our son was diagnosed with this earlier this year.
  • Our five-year old son has very bowed legs. The pediatrician is advising surgery to correct this problem. Does it really matter how the legs look for a boy? He can always wear pants to cover it up.
  • What can you tell me about the kinds of braces used after surgery to correct Blount's disease? Our pediatric orthopedic surgeon showed us two different types. Does one work better than the other?
  • Our one-year old daughter has a minor thumb problem. It seems to be stuck in a bent position. We can straighten it out but it goes right back. Should we do anything about it? Will she outgrow it?
  • We just came back from the three-month well-baby check up for our son. We're stunned because the pediatrician told us he has both a hip problem and a neck problem called torticollis. What could have caused these problems? Are we doing something wrong?
  • What is intrauterine packing? The doctor used this term when describing why our baby has a dislocated hip and odd shape to her head.
  • Our six-week old daughter has hip dysplasia. The doctor thought it might go away by now but it hasn't. What's the next step?
  • Our baby was born with what's called a clinically unstable hip. She's wearing a special harness now. What does clinically unstable mean? And how do we know if the splint is working?
  • Our 13-year old son is quite overweight and has developed a hip problem from obesity. It's called slipped capital femoral epiphysis. So far, it's only on the left. Can it develop on the right? What can we do to prevent this from happening?
  • My 11-year old son has been complaining of hip pain and limping for six months now. We thought it was just growing pains but it turns out to be a slipped hip. The doctor is advising surgery. Could he just outgrow this problem without surgery?
  • My 12-year old daughter hurt her wrist during a gymnastic floor exercise competition. At first she was put in a cast but she never did recover. The doctor did an arthroscopic exam. She said it showed a drive-through sign and that's why she had to open the wrist and repair the damage. Now that my daughter is fully recovered, I'm still wondering: what's a drive-through sign?
  • My 11-year old son fell and hurt his wrist while roller blading. We've been advised to have him see a hand therapist before considering surgery. Wouldn't it be easier to just repair the problem and be done with it?
  • I notice my nine year old seems to miss a lot of school for headaches and stomachaches. How common is this?
  • What is turf toe? Our son plays football for his college team and says he's out the next game because of turf toe.
  • Our 17-year old son is a javelin thrower on his high school track and field team. He injured himself last season and was diagnosed with a SLAP tear. What are his chances for full recovery for this year's track season?
  • Our five-month old daughter was just diagnosed with hip dysplasia. She's now wearing a Pavlik harness. Will this really take care of the problem?
  • Our baby may have a hip problem. The pediatrician is concerned about the possibility of a hip dislocation. We don't want to expose her to X-rays. Is there any other way to find out for sure what's going on?
  • The nurse practitioner who examined our new born kept moving the hip back and forth during our well-baby check-up. When I asked her what she was doing, she said that she was listening for a hip click. We didn't hear anything. What does a hip click tell you?
  • Our baby was examined by his pediatrician who told us he has a true-positive test for hip dislocation. What does true-positive mean? We assume it means there's no doubt about it, but could they be wrong?
  • My daughter has been in ballet since she was three years old. Last year around her 14th birthday, she started noticing that her left hip snaps during some of the ballet moves. Is there some kind of hormonal connection?
  • Our 12-year old son had his hip pinned to correct a problem called SCFE. It didn't work and now he has to have an osteotomy. What happens if this operation doesn't work?
  • We've been advised by our pediatrician and an orthopedic surgeon that our son needs surgery right away. He has a hip problem where the growth plate has slipped backwards in the hip. We'd really like to know what happens if we don't have the operation done?
  • Our 16-year old son has developed OCD of the left knee. He's spent six months trying to rehab it but needs surgery anyway. The surgeon says to expect six to eight months' time to heal AFTER the operation. What takes so long? I thought in a young person everything heals much faster.
  • Our daughter was born with a mild case of clubfeet. What's the best way to treat this problem? We've heard it's a wait-and-see kind of problem. But we don't want to wait-and-see we made a mistake later by doing nothing now.
  • Our son was born with clubfoot just on one side. The surgeon will operate to repair the deformity before he starts walking. Will he walk normally?
  • My daughter was born with severe bilateral clubfeet. She's three years old now and walking just fine, but her feet are still so curved. She looks funny. Can anything more be done about this?
  • Have you ever heard of the Ponseti Method for clubfoot? How does it work?
  • I am an American occupational therapist providing wheelchairs to children in undeveloped countries. We are in a village now with a child who dislocated his hip two years ago. He can no longer walk. I can fit him with a wheelchair but he may be a candidate for treatment. If we do get him to a hospital, what kind of treatment must be available for this problem?
  • My wife and I are planning to adopt a nine-year-old girl from a third world country. She has a dislocated hip from a fall that was never treated properly. What are the chances of treating something like this?
  • Our baby was born with hip dysplasia. She's been wearing a Pavlik harness for two months but there's been no change in her condition. We're concerned that it's not working. Should we go ahead and have the surgery to put the hip back in place? What happens if we wait? How long can we wait?
  • Our baby was born with hip dysplasia. She's been wearing a Pavlik harness for two months but there's been no change in her condition. We're concerned that it's not working. Should we go ahead and have the surgery to put the hip back in place? What happens if we wait? How long can we wait?
  • Our 3-month old son is supposed to wear a special harness to prevent hip dislocation. Both hips are affected, but one is worse than the other. And he's a regular Houdini. He can get out of that thing in just a few minutes. What can we do?
  • My nine-year old daughter has spastic diplegia, a type of cerebral palsy. Last year she had a hamstring lengthening operation to help her walk better. For awhile she looked better but now she's starting to bend at the knees and crouch again. Is this just a bad habit that she can overcome by trying harder?
  • What can be done to help children with cerebral palsy who walk crouched down? I have a fourth grade student in my class like this. I'd like to help but don't know what to suggest.
  • I had a home birth with my second child. It turns out she has hip dysplasia. Could this have been avoided with a hospital birth?
  • My wife and I are new parents as of a week ago. While we were in the hospital, we were advised to have an ultrasound study of our child's hips. The ultrasound shows if there is a problem with hip dysplasia. We decided to avoid the cost and possible trauma to the baby. Now I'm having second thoughts. Should we have this test done? Is it too late?
  • Our daughter was just diagnosed with a hip problem called Legg-Perthes disease. We've been told girls have a worse case than boys. Why is that?
  • Our seven-year old son has been diagnosed with Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. X-rays show his bone growth is delayed. Will he eventually catch up again?
  • The pediatrician suspects our 10-year old daughter may have a tumor in her neck. We are scheduled for an MRI tomorrow. What are the chances of this being something serious?
  • I overheard our doctor say there are at least a dozen different ways kids with cerebral palsy walk. Whenever we are in the clinic with other parents and children, they all look pretty much the same to me. What are these differences?
  • We have a three-year old daughter with a type of cerebral palsy called spastic diplegia. She is just starting to walk and we want to use our video camera to track her progress. What's the best way to use these videos to see change?
  • Our eight-year-old daughter fractured her pelvis in a skiing accident. The doctors who treated her said this is a very rare injury in children. Why is that?
  • Our 14-year old son has an avulsion fracture of the pelvis. The doctor says no surgery is needed. He can walk with crutches as much as his pain level will allow. Does this seem right?
  • My daughter's first baby has three large birthmarks on her back and legs. The pediatrician says it's nothing to worry about and they will go away as she gets older. Could this be something more serious?
  • My nephew was just diagnosed with a rare condition called Cobb's syndrome. Can you tell me what this is?
  • Our 16-year old son is very immature physically. He's been participating in sports to help build some muscle. At his annual exam with the doctor, she noticed a curve starting to develop in his spine. We don't know what to do. Should he change sports? Increase his exercise? Quit exercising?
  • I am very concerned about my three-year old niece. She was diagnosed with septic arthritis of the hip. My brother and his wife refuse to let her take antibiotics for this problem. What could happen if they don't treat this?
  • Our five-year old son had surgery to clean and drain an infection in his hip. I knew there would be an opening made in the front of the hip. But there's also a tiny spout poking out the back. What in the world is that for?
  • What is coxarthrosis? I've been reading on-line about SCFE (which our son has been diagnosed with). I saw several reports that he could get coxarthrosis later.
  • Ten years ago, our 14-year-old son was diagnosed with SCFE. I notice as a young adult he has an odd way of walking. It's almost a limp but not quite. Is that the result of his hip surgery for the SCFE?
  • Our little granddaughter is having surgery today to correct a clubfoot deformity. We were told that one of the more common complications after this operation is poor wound healing. What does this mean exactly?
  • What's the latest thinking about surgery to correct a clubfoot deformity? We had a child who had this surgery about 10 years ago. It turned out fine but there was a lot of question then about whether or not it was even necessary.
  • Have you ever heard of doing PET scans for children with back pain? I saw a report on the internet about this but our doctor says this isn't really necessary.
  • The university hospital in our town has nuclear imaging to diagnose problems. They have suggested doing a nuclear (PET) scan of our 11-year old son. He has back pain from an unknown cause. I'm concerned about the exposure to radiation. What can you tell me about this?
  • Our 14-year-old son is a promising gymnast. Last year we found out he has a hip problem called SCFE. He had surgery to pin the hip together. Now he's having trouble flexing and abducting his hip. It's affecting his ability to compete. Can anything be done about this?
  • My grandson has a mild case of slipped capital femoral epiphysis. His parents want to adopt a wait-and-see approach rather than have him go through surgery. We're concerned that waiting too long could make the problem even worse. What do you advise?
  • Both my grandparents have had hip replacements using the new minimally invasive methods with arthroscopy. Now my own two-year old daughter needs hip surgery for dysplasia. Can she have this same kind of surgery?
  • How common is scoliosis?
  • How is scoliosis diagnosed?
  • Without using an X-ray, what would make the doctor suspect my child has spondylolysis? And what will happen if the doctor doesn't see it on the X-ray?
  • Why is it that doctors can't agree on the right method of treatment for spondylolysis?
  • My neighbor's 12-year-old daughter suddenly developed bow legs. Have you ever heard of such a thing? What causes this to happen?
  • My three-year old nephew has Blount disease in both legs. My brother is refusing to have him treated. What will happen if it's not properly treated?
  • My 11-year old daughter has scoliosis severe enough to wear a brace. If she is faithful to wear it, can she avoid having surgery later on?
  • Our doctor tells us surgery for scoliosis can be avoided by wearing a brace full time for several years. How can we convince our 13-year old daughter to keep her brace on as much as recommended by her doctor?
  • Our granddaughter was born with an extra hemivertebrae. It's causing a curve in her spine so they are going to operate and take the bone out. This is all so new to us. What will happen to our little baby?
  • Our daughter is scheduled for hip surgery to correct a problem with dysplasia. After hearing all the possible complications that can occur, we're wondering if it wouldn't be better to just let her take her chances without surgery and see what happens. What do you think?
  • I was watching my son's team play soccer in a tournament yesterday. One of his teammates went down with an injury. I watched in dismay as the team coach twisted and turned this young man's knee as part of the examination. My first aid training is limited, but shouldn't they put ice on the knee and keep him off it?
  • My 13-year old daughter hurt her knee during a soccer tournament last weekend. The coach put her in a knee immobilizer and sent her to the emergency room. They suggested she see an orthopedic surgeon this week. We couldn't get in to see anyone for two weeks. Will this hurt her chances for a full recovery?
  • Our pediatrician found a 12-degree scoliosis (curve) in our daughter's spine. She wants to just keep an eye on it. No bracing or surgery is advised. Is this the best approach?
  • Our 13-year old daughter may have a great basketball career ahead of her. She's already six feet tall and still growing. But the pediatrician noticed some changes in her spine with this last growth spurt. Now she has scoliosis. Does that come from growing too fast?
  • I am a 14-year-old boy. I just found out I have scoliosis. It's just in the middle part of my spine. The doctor showed me an X-ray and said it's a C-shaped curve of the thoracic spine. Why does the curvature start in the middle like that and not someplace else?
  • The school nurse sent a note home with our 12-year old daughter. It seems she didn't pass the scoliosis screening test and needs to see a doctor. Do we take her to the pediatrician or do we need a specialist for this?
  • The school nurse sent a note home with our 12-year old daughter. It seems she didn't pass the scoliosis screening test and needs to see a doctor. Do we take her to the pediatrician or do we need a specialist for this?
  • I'm a 16-year old girl who is very athletic and in good shape. I've started having back pain that's getting worse over time. I guess I thought playing sports and exercising would protect me from this kind of problem. Does this happen very often? What could be causing it?
  • Our pediatrician found a 12-degree scoliosis (curve) in our daughter's spine. She wants to just keep an eye on it. No bracing or surgery is advised. Is this the best approach?
  • Do the night-time only braces work as well as the daytime braces for scoliosis?
  • I am 11-years old and just found out I have scoliosis. I may need to get a brace. How do they decide that I do need to wear a brace?
  • Our daughter wore a back brace for scoliosis for three years. It seemed to do the job because her curve didn't get worse. But now, three years later, the curve seems to be going back to what it was before the bracing. Is this typical?
  • Our 11-year old daughter was out skateboarding when she broke her leg (thigh). She has an unstable comminuted fracture. Can you tell us what that means?
  • Our 13-year old son had a bad break in his thigh bone. After surgery and a rehab program, he's back to his old tricks. The surgeon still wants to take another X-ray but we're against it. We'd like to avoid any more exposure to radiation. Is there any real reason to get another X-ray?
  • My 15-year old daughter broke her lower leg in a bad fall. She had surgery to put a long rod in the bone. The rod has been taken out now but it seems like that leg is longer. Is that possible? It seems like it would be shorter after a fracture, not longer.
  • Is it true they are no longer going to do scoliosis screening in the schools? Why not?
  • I'm 14-years old and I just got home from having surgery for a broken leg. My tibia was fractured in three places. They put a titanium rod down through the shaft to hold it all together. Now I'm in a leg splint. What happens from here?
  • We have two boys ages 14 and 16. The younger boy just had braces taken off his teeth. Now he has a retainer. The older son has finished wearing a brace for scoliosis of his spine but there's no retainer. How do they keep everything from shifting back without a retainer?
  • My nephew was born with a clubfoot. What exactly are clubfeet and what causes them? Do they have to be treated if they don't seem too bad?
  • Is surgery ever used to correct clubfoot instead of those chunky braces the kids are forced to wear for so long?
  • Why is a cuboid nutcracker fracture serious?
  • Why is surgery better for treating a cuboid nutcracker fracture than just casting?
  • When my daughter developed CRPS, the doctors took a long time to finally diagnose it. How come it can't be diagnosed right away?
  • I know two children who had CRPS but they had different symptoms. What are the symptoms of CRPS?
  • How common is clubfeet and what are my chances of having a child with them?
  • There is a child in our neighborhood who has clubfeet. I feel so badly for him in those big braces, even in the summer. Can't his parents find another treatment for him?
  • I work as a medical transcriptionist. Lately I've been typing the notes for an orthopedic surgeon who treats mostly children. She often refers to joint mice. What does this refer to?
  • I'm new to the coaching business. This is my first year to coach girls' softball. What can I do to cut down on the number of elbow injuries? It seems like one-fourth to one-third of the team is always on the bench icing their elbows. What gives?
  • When my daughter goes to the doctor for her annual check up, he makes her bend over as if to touch her toes. He says he's checking how straight her back is. Could you explain why he is doing this and how this helps? Thank you.
  • I had scoliosis when I was a child, and still do. It was horrible to have treated and I still have problems with my back. IF I have children, is there a way to make sure that they don't have it?
  • I've been reading about kids carrying heavy backpacks to school and getting hurt because of them. Shouldn't something be done about that?
  • Predicting the Scoliosis Curve Without X-rays
  • We agreed to let our child be part of a special study at our University. They are using a new technology to monitor her scoliosis. It's called the Quantum system. It doesn't involve taking X-rays, which is why we are interested. My question is how reliable is it? What if it doesn't show changes and she gets worse but we don't know it?
  • Our 11-year-old daughter was just diagnosed with scoliosis. The doctor says it bears careful watching. This means repeated X-rays. We are concerned about the effect of too much X-ray exposure, especially in a developing girl. Is there any way around this?
  • We just took in a foster child who has Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. He is 12 years old. Is it too late to help him with treatment?
  • What's the ideal time for treatment of Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease? Our six-year old son has this condition. We live in Europe and don't expect to return to the United States for another six months at least. Can it wait until we go home? Or should we seek treatment here?
  • My nephew had spinal surgery for scoliosis. They put a bunch of screws to hold the spine straight and keep the curve from getting worse. His latest CT scan shows one of the screws is backing out. What will they do about this?
  • My brother had surgery yesterday for severe scoliosis. During the operation, one of his spinal bones broke as the surgeon was trying to insert a screw into the bone. I guess they were able to patch everything up but what happens with that fracture?
  • My nephew has been diagnosed with unstable slipped capital femoral epiphysis. What does unstable mean. and how do they fix this?
  • Our grandson was born with severe clubfoot in the left foot. The doctor did some casting and now wants him to wear a special foot brace all the time. We notice our son and his wife don't really put the brace on him very much. What does the brace do? Does it really matter if he wears it everyday?
  • We've just started a treatment for our baby boy called the Ponseti method. Everyone says it works great. Is there a downside to this treatment?
  • Our 7-year old daughter has a very serious scoliosis that requires spinal fusion. The surgeon is talking about using bone from a donor bank. We are concerned about the possiblity of her getting AIDS or bone cancer or some other illness this way. Is it really safe?
  • Our baby girl was diagnosed with hip dysplasia at birth. The doctor seems very certain of the diagnosis. We're wondering if an X-ray should be taken to know for sure. What do you advise?
  • My daughter had what the doctor called a Greenstick fracture. What did he mean?
  • My teen-ager, who plays a lot of sports, was diagnosed with osteochondritis dissecans. The way I understand it, he has to keep as much weight off his leg as possible, but how will we know if it is healing and isn't there any treatment for it?
  • What is osteochondritis dissecans?
  • What can a parent to do reduce the danger for their children on trampolines?
  • My children are very careful when they play on the trampoline. I allow two of them at a time because they say it's no fun alone. There isn't any harm in that, is there?
  • My son broke his arm when he fell in the playground. The doctor took the cast off after only 4 weeks and then told us to be careful because his arm wasn't fully healed yet. When I broke my arm as a child, the cast was on for 6 weeks. What is the point of taking it off earlier if it isn't healed yet?
  • My daughter's arm broke again 6 months after the first time. The doctor said that it was in the same spot. Does this mean that her arm will always be easily broken?
  • My child has a lot of accidents and has broken some bones because of this. Every time I bring him to the urgent care, I worry that the doctors will think we are hurting him. How can they tell if they are accidents?
  • I have heard that certain types of breaks in children's bones make doctor's suspicious about child abuse. What types of breaks would these be?
  • Can children get osteoporosis from drinking too much soda pop?
  • All three of my teenage daughters are six feet tall or taller. I've heard that taller children need more calcium to build strong bones compared to shorter children. Is this really true?
  • I'm just starting to coach football with young kids. Most of them will not tell me when they are really hurting. I'm concerned about putting them back into the game too soon. What are some guidelines for injury management with this age group?
  • Our son suffered a concussion playing high school football last weekend. He's been told he can't play for the next week. We are supposed to report anything unusual. What should we expect to see in this next week to 10 days?
  • I've heard of spiral fractures - what are they and how are they caused?
  • What is a growth-plate fracture?
  • My nephew was diagnosed with Osgood-Schlatter disease. What is it and how can he be cured?
  • How long does it take for Osgood-Schlatter disease to heal?
  • How is scoliosis fixed if bracing doesn't work?
  • How does a doctor decide if surgery is needed when treating someone with scoliosis?
  • My daughter's elbow has been causing her a lot of pain and the doctor said that she has to have surgery to repair some damage, called osteochondral lesions. What type of surgery is this?
  • Our daughter is in surgery as I send this to you from my lap top. She's having a fusion for scoliosis. As the time ticks by, I can't help but wonder if the length of the operation means something bad.
  • I'm 14-years old and have a major problem with scoliosis. Since I've stopped growing, they are going to straighten my spine and fuse it in place. When they do this surgery, how do they get the spine straightened up enough to then hold it in place?
  • How long can we (or should we) delay surgery for our child who has hip dysplasia? We know this problem goes away in some children. How long can we wait to find out before it's too late?
  • Our baby might have a hip problem but we're not sure. His pediatrician said the test was positive for developmental hip dysplasia. But the orthopedic surgeon we went to said the test was negative. Who do we believe? What do we do now?
  • What types of questions should we ask a surgeon before consenting to our daughter having fusion for her scoliosis?
  • My daughter is considering whether to allow her child to have surgery for her scoliosis. What are some of the complications that happen during this surgery?
  • Our six year old child is now undergoing treatment for Perthes bone disease. The doctor can't be sure but thinks it was caught early enough. We've been told that he'll come out okay. What does that mean? Will the treatment hold up? What will happen to his hip 30 years from now?
  • My 12-year-old nephew was just diagnosed with Scheuermann's spine. We were told this is more common among boys. I have two boys of my own around the same age. What causes this condition?
  • Our neighbor's child is in and out of the doctor's office every month. His parents tell us he has a bone condition that makes it look like they abuse him. We're just not sure what to think. Is there such a thing?
  • I am a third year medical student. While working in the emergency department over the weekend, there was a case of possible child abuse. I'm looking for any information I can find to help me recognize orthopedic injuries that might be related to child abuse.
  • Our 15-year old has such bad back aches that he can't sleep at night. We've spent money on a better bed but don't know what else to do. What do you suggest we try next?
  • All three of our children started complaining of back pain when they started attending high school. Is there some link here? Is it just the psychologic stress of switching from middle school to high school?
  • My teen-age son has arthritis and is often in a lot of pain. This affects his sleep but he refuses to take anything to help him sleep. How can I help him?
  • How can I know if my teen-age daughter is eating properly to prevent osteoporosis later in life?
  • What types of foods are high in calcium in order that I do the best for my bone strength?
  • Is it normal for my teenager to have back pain?
  • My teenager has had bouts of back pain. Will he grow out of it?
  • How is tuberculosis of the knee treated? My coworker's nephew has it.
  • How is tuberculosis of the knee treated? My coworker's nephew has it.
  • How old is a child when scoliosis is usually found?
  • Other than how it looks, why is it important to treat a back that curves to the side? My daughter has almost like an S shape spine but the doctor says she should still be treated.
  • Have you ever heard of transplanting cartilage from the knee to the elbow? They are going to do this for my younger brother who has osteochondral dissecans. Is this new?
  • I don't really have a question so much as a plea to other parents. Our 12-year old son was killed in an ATV accident. Accident probably isn't the right word since it was completely preventable. Children this young should not be using ATVs without adult supervision and without wearing protective gear. Everyone, please pay attention to this!
  • What safety equipment is suggested when using an ATV?
  • Our three-year old son is starting to develop very bowed legs. The doctor says he may outgrow it. Is there any way to tell for sure? Can't something be done about this?
  • My daughter has been diagnosed with Blount disease. The doctor tells me this is linked with obesity. She is overweight but she only has this condition in the right leg. Wouldn't it be in both legs if it was caused by a weight problem?
  • Our daughter had twins two months ago. One of the babies has ingrown toenails of the big toe on both sides. What causes this? Why did one baby have the problem but the other didn't?
  • Have you ever heard of ingrown toenails in a newborn? My first grandchild was just born with this problem. No one in our family has ever had ingrown toenails.
  • Our three-year-old had surgery a week ago for a tendon laceration of the thumb. Even though he's in a cast to keep him immobile, he's like a regular Houdini. He's gotten out of three casts so far. One more time and they will just leave the cast off. Will this keep him from healing properly?
  • Our 4-year old son tripped and fell on some glass. He cut the back side of his index and middle fingers. I guess that's rare compared to cutting the palm side. We notice he can't straighten his index finger all the way anymore. Will this eventually get better?
  • My 9-year old nephew was just diagnosed with pelvic osteomyelitis. They said he also had abscesses of several hip muscles. What's the connection?
  • Our two-year old hasn't been walking that long when she suddenly developed a weird walking pattern. She seems to be favoring and dragging her right leg. X-rays were negative. Blood tests were negative. Where do we go from here?
  • We have adopted a seven-year old boy from another country who needs spine surgery. He has a very twisted back. How does a surgeon know how to straighten out such a mess?
  • Our 12-year old daughter was out snowboarding and broke her ankle. They told us it's a triplanar fracture. We saw it on X-rays and the CT scan, so we know what it looks like. What's the prognosis for something like this?
  • My son hurt his back 10 months ago when playing football. He still complains of pain, especially when arching backward. Could he have spondylolysis?
  • I'm concerned about my 14-year old son. When it comes to sports and activity, he never stops. Is it possible he could wear his joints out before he reaches adulthood?
  • If someone tears a ligament or the cartilage in the knee, is it possible to strengthen the rest of the leg to take the burden off the knee and avoid surgery?
  • My nephew was born with a clubfoot and is now being casted regularly. How do the doctors keep track of the foot? Surely they can't be doing x-rays all the time on babies.
  • What happens if you don't correct a clubfoot?
  • My son broke his thigh bone in a bike accident a few weeks ago. His surgeon said he implanted a "plate" to help stabilize the bone. Will he need to have that plate changed as he grows?
  • My nephew hurt his finger in the car door a few weeks ago and now his finger (the middle one) looks at an unnatural angle. It doesn't really hurt him, but it looks odd. Is it too late to get it treated?
  • My daughter broke the tip of her finger a week ago and has to keep a splint on her finger to keep it straight so it will heal properly. The problem is, she won't keep it on. She's only 2 years old and doesn't understand the importance. What can I do?
  • My daughter was diagnosed with scoliosis a few years ago and now the doctor is talking about surgery. He did a test and found she has an abnormality called Chiari Malformation. What is that and how will this affect her?
  • My daughter's doctor is pushing for her to have surgery for her scoliosis. I don't know - I can't decide if she should or not.
  • Our nine-year old son has cerebral palsy and needs hip surgery. I've been told he will be in a special cast from the waist down. How will he go to the bathroom or sit up to eat? I'm a little confused about how this is going to work.
  • Our nine-year-old niece has had back pain all year. The doctor finally diagnosed it as spondylolysis. How can a child so young have this kind of back trouble?
  • Our 14-year-old daughter was just diagnosed with spondylolysis. She's been told by the orthopedic surgeon to reduce her activity level until the symptoms go away. How long will this take?
  • Our daughter went into surgery for what we thought was a simple broken leg. She came out with pins sticking out of the skin and a metal bar holding everything together. We never did get to ask what happened. Do you have any ideas?
  • We are trying to keep our children from being exposed to a lifetime of radiation. Whenever possible, we avoid X-rays at the dentist or the doctor's. But one of our sons broke his lower leg. During the operation, they used a type of X-ray called fluoroscopy. How dangerous is this type of radiation?
  • My four-year-old son has a hemiplegic type of cerebral palsy. He's up and walking but he has a foot that's stuck in a position with a very high arch. The foot is always in a pointed toe position, too. He's going o have surgery to correct this probem. What kind of results can we expect?
  • Our 12-year-old daughter has a really high arch in both feet. I thought she might outgrow this, but it seems to be getting worse instead of better. What (if anything) can be done about this?
  • Can children get complex regional pain syndrome?
  • My child had a clubfoot and we met another child with the same thing. Why would my child's cast be heavy plaster while the other's was made of more lightweight fiberglass? The plaster cast was hard to keep dry and it was very heavy.
  • Wouldn't it be easier just to do surgery right off the bat to fix a clubfoot than to do through the whole process of putting on a cast and changing it many times? Why not just do the surgery since the kids often end up having it anyway?
  • My nephew was diagnosed with Legg-Calve-Perthes disease and I'm wondering if he's being treated properly. I read that the hip socket can become deformed so I want to be sure he is receiving the right treatment to keep that from happening.
  • What are the signs of Legg-Calve-Perthes disease? My sister had it when she was younger but it took the doctors forever to figure out what she had.
  • My niece wrecked her knee in gym and the doctor said it was a torn ACL. I had a torn ACL not long ago, but my niece is only 10. How can that be?
  • My sister has always had back pain. Now her 13-year-old daughter (my niece) is starting to complain about back pain too. Is this just monkey-see, monkey-do? I hate to see my niece go down this same path.
  • Is it possible that back pain can be inherited like heart disease? It seems like everyone in our family suffers from this problem.
  • Our 12-year-old was just diagnosed with mild SCFE. We've been told there could be complications. What can we expect to happen with this condition?
  • My son has a slipped growth plate in his left hip. So far, it's only on one side. Will this travel to the other side, too?
  • I've just been reading about the high rate of injuries among ballet dancers. Our 12-year-old daughter is very interested in going en pointe next year. Should we discourage this? We don't want to set her up for harm from something she really enjoys.
  • Our teenage daughter just started smoking (or maybe we just found out about it, we're not sure). Everyone knows smoking is bad for you. But she's young and active and believes this will protect her. What can we say to change her mind?
  • My 14-year-old son frequently complains of lower back pain. The doctor said he can't find anything so why does my son keep complaining? Is he making it up for attention?
  • When a child has back pain, what steps do doctors take to find what is causing it?
  • My nephew was born with a hip dysplasia on the left hip, but his doctor keeps checking his right hip too. I thought it was to compare them, but his mom tells me it's to see if he has the same problem on both sides. Wouldn't they know that by now?
  • How and why does hip dysplasia happen? In my family, three different cousins had children with it. Before that, I didn't know anyone who had a child with that problem.
  • My niece will have to wear a brace for scoliosis but she told me that the doctors are deciding on her treatment plan. How does a doctor decide what kind of brace they should use and how long she should wear it every day?
  • Is it essential treat scoliosis with a brace? Can the child be left as long as the curve doesn't look too bad?
  • When my son was a young child, he walked on his toes. My doctor told us not to worry about it and that he would grow out of it. He did eventually stop walking on his toes and is fine now. He now has a daughter who walks on her toes, but the doctors are running a bunch of tests to be sure there is nothing wrong. What has changed since my son was young?
  • What causes a child to walk on his or her toes?
  • When my daughter was five, she fell in the playground and broke her forearm. The emergency room nurse wasn't sure that it was broken because my daughter didn't show "any signs" of a break. What type of signs are there normally. By the way, both bones were broken.
  • Why is it that some children have casts on their arms for only three or four weeks and others for much longer if they've broken their arm?
  • We've had a rash of injuries among our pitchers this year. Two kids even had surgery to repair damaged ligaments around the elbow. What can we do to prevent this from happening in the future?
  • When my husband was a child, he broke his little toe. I think my son broke his - my son is 9 years old - but my husband said not to bring him to the doctor because they wouldn't do anything anyway. Should I have brought him?
  • Have you ever heard of a hinge elbow fracture? My nephew has one of these from a skateboarding accident. What is it?
  • When I was a kid, I broke my arm. The doctor put me in the hospital with traction and sent me home later in a cast. Our son just broke the same elbow in the same way I did (bike accident) but they did surgery instead. Don't they use traction anymore?
  • Our daughter had surgery to correct a leg length difference. After months in a fixator cage around her leg, it was finally removed. The clinical exam and X-rays show she may have been overcorrected. She had X-rays taken all along. Why didn't this show up sooner?
  • Our son is undergoing a series of procedures to make his legs the same length from one side to the other. He's had two surgeries. Right now he's got a special cage around (and pinned to) his leg. It seems like they X-ray him an awful lot. Does he really need all these X-rays?
  • Our five-year old daughter just came out of a hip spica cast. She has cerebral palsy and had surgery for a hip dislocation. The follow-up X-ray shows she has osteopenia. What is that and what can we do about it?
  • Our six-year old son has spastic cerebral palsy. The uneven muscle tone in his legs is causing a problem with the hips. To prevent hip dislocation, he had surgery on both hips. He came out of his hip spica cast about a week ago. He's been complaining of leg pain ever since. Is this normal?
  • We just came back from an appointment at a very busy pediatric spine clinic. Our 13-year old daughter has developed a very bad case of scoliosis. While we were there, we must have filled out 20 pages worth of questions. In today's world of advanced technology, isn't there some way medical offices could use computers to cut down on paper use and speed up the process?
  • What can you tell us about the PEDI? As foster parents to children with disabilities, we will be filling this survey out on each child. I'd like to know more about it.
  • We are considering surgery for our 14-year old son who has scoliosis. The surgeon has talked about removing some of his ribs and using them to fuse the spine. What happens to the rest of the body with the ribs gone?
  • Our 13-year old daughter has a moderate scoliosis with the start of a rib hump. I'm thinking about what she'll look like in a prom dress in a few years. Is there some way to correct this problem now before it gets worse?
  • Despite carefully wearing a nighttime brace for scoliosis, our 10 year old's curve is getting worse. What do we do now?
  • We just found out our eight-year-old has childhood scoliosis. We're going to a special clinic next week to get a special nighttime brace. How well do these work? What should we expect?
  • Our daughter has a scoliosis that is getting worse every year. We think she will probably end up having surgery fairly soon. The surgeon is only going to fuse part of her thoracic spine. Why don't they go all the way down to include the curve at the bottom?
  • I've been reading up on surgical fusion procedures for scoliosis. Our niece is going to have one of these operations. I see there's some concern about over correcting the curve. How do they avoid this problem?
  • I always thought my kids were made of "rubber." They seem to fall and never seriously hurt themselves. But I read an article that said millions of kids break bones every year playing sports. Is this because of all the junk food they eat?
  • Every year our kids have to see the doctor for a physical exam in order to participate in sports. Is this really necessary?
  • Our first grandchild was born last week. Unfortunately, there's something wrong with his hand. They say it's some kind of nerve palsy. Is this a permanent problem?
  • Our daughter just went through a 36-hour labor and delivery of a beautiful baby girl. The baby has some problems with her wrist and her hand. It appears that they are floppy (maybe paralyzed? We're not sure). Is this something that happens during labor and delivery? Or was she just born with it?
  • We are looking for any information you might have on the prognosis of Legg-Perthes disease. We have a child newly diagnosed with this condition.
  • Two of the boys in our family (my sister's son and my brother's son) have Perthes hip disease. What are the chances our children (I'm the youngest sibling) will have this problem?
  • What's the difference between osteonecrosis and Perthes disease? Our son has Perthes so when I try to read about it, I get confused with the discussion of osteonecrosis.
  • Is there any way to tell if someone with SCFE on one side will develop it on the other side?
  • I've heard that slipped capital femoral epiphysis is a genetic condition. But no one in our families on either side has this problem and our son does. Are there other causes of this condition?
  • I'm a nurse in a pediatric hospital unit. We had a child come in over the weekend with septic sacroiliitis. I learned in school that this was a problem for drug addicts. Is it possible that's how this child got this condition?
  • I feel like the medical system failed us. Our little girl (five years old) came down with a fever and an earache. She was treated with antibiotics for an ear infection but then started complaining her knee hurt. After a couple of days of limping around, we took her back to the doctor. She couldn't find anything wrong and sent us home. We ended up taking her to the emergency department over the weekend. She was diagnosed with septic sacroiliitis. Why was that so difficult to figure out?
  • Our six-month old baby just had a closed reduction for hip dysplasia. Now we wait and see if it worked. How do they tell if this operation has been successful?
  • Our son was very fortunate. After being born with a dislocated hip, the surgeon was able to put it back in the socket. At first the hip socket was shallow. But after surgery, a deeper cup-shaped socket formed around the head of the femur. No further surgery was needed. We saw other kids in the clinic who weren't so lucky. How come some children develop normally and others end up needing more surgery?
  • For a while kids were taking their books to school in a rolling backpack. I see that's gone out of favor. Now it's back to slinging it over one shoulder. The thing weighs more than my child! What can be done about this?
  • Our 11-year-old daughter is just a little thing. But she carries this enormous backpack low over her buttocks. I think this is causing some problems. Is it possible the backpack is causing her back pain?
  • We are thinking about giving our grandchildren those new Heely shoes for their birthdays this year. I've heard a few people say they are dangerous. I've seen kids zipping around the grocery store and they seem harmless. What's the danger?
  • Our children want Heelys to keep up with their friends. When I looked at them, there was a big warning label from the manufacturer to always use safety gear. What safety gear is needed?
  • We need some fast advice. My wife and I just had a baby. A diagnosis of septic arthritis was made of the left hip. The top of the thigh bone is missing and the joint is infected. The doctors are saying do surgery right away. We would like to just wait-and-see if the baby can pull out of it on his own. What do you think?
  • Our grandson was born with an infected hip. X-rays were taken but no other imaging studies were done. They operated on the hip right away. Shouldn't they have at least done an MRI or something before doing surgery?
  • My 12-year-old niece had surgery to lengthen her left leg to match the right. They put her in some kind of contraption that grows with her. I guess this has to be left on for quite a while. How do they know when it's time to take it off?
  • I saw an experiment where the scientists were measuring how strong the bones of children were during healing a fracture. They used a special device to measure the stiffness of the bone. How do they do this without re-breaking the bone?
  • My son had a limb-lengthening surgery about three months ago. He was back in school fairly quickly despite having a metal cage wrapped around his leg. But he's active and would like to get this off sooner than later. Is it really necessary to keep this contraption on much longer?
  • Does having a DXA scan hurt? Our daughter had surgery to correct a leg deformity that was making her left leg shorter than the right. Now she's wearing a special cage around the leg to help distract the bone and make the leg longer. The surgeon has recommended a DXA scan to see how things are coming. But last month, they used an Orthometer to measure how stiff her bone was, and she ended up screaming herself to sleep. We don't want to go through that again.
  • My daughter had a problem with her hand and the doctor diagnosed it as trigger finger. What exactly is trigger finger and what is usually done for it?
  • Our six-month old had surgery to correct a clubfoot position of both feet. That was three months ago. It didn't work so they have to start over. Does the second surgery usually take care of the problem?
  • Our granddaughter was born with two problems: clubfoot and something called arthrogryposis. The doctors are urgently recommending surgery. Our son and his wife want to wait-and-see what happens. They just can't bear to have their first baby operated on. We're not sure how to advise them. What's best in this situation?
  • What is an osteochondral fracture of the femur?
  • Have you ever heard of a disc herniation in an 11-year-old? I thought this was a problem for older adults but our niece has been told she needs surgery for a lumbar disc herniation.
  • Could you tell us a little about a condition called achondroplasia? My sister's son was born with this. We don't know anyone else in the family who has this problem, so how does it get started?
  • We adopted an African American child last year who had a bone infection called osteomyelitis. Is this something any child can get? What causes it?
  • What's the status these days of that staph infection that is resistant to antibiotics?
  • I am an experienced EMT just starting to work with young children (ages eight to 12) in football leagues in our local community. I'm familiar with the guidelines for adults injured on the field. What do they say about children with neck injuries? Do we transport them with or without the helmet?
  • Our 10-year old twin boys want to participate in the football program at our local YMCA. I'm pretty nervous about serious head and neck injuries. Some of the kids in the group outweigh our boys by 50 pounds. Is it really safe for this age group to play tackle football?
  • I'm a first-time grandmother with a concern. How safe are those inflatable houses kids jump in at parties and park functions? In my day, we worried about serious injuries on the trampoline. These contraptions are at least enclosed. But are they safe?
  • We are thinking about renting one of those inflatable bouncers for our eight-year-old daughter's birthday. The kids can burn off some of their excess energy and then have a sleepover inside the house. Is there any thing special we should know about these devices? Any problems with injuries?
  • How can you get septic arthritis - how do you get an infection in a joint if there is no cut or anything?
  • Our 7-year old granddaughter broke her arm just above the elbow. They had to do surgery to pull the bones apart and put them back together again. In the process, a nerve was damaged. Was this a fluke or is this a common problem?
  • My 9-year-old son dislocated his elbow badly. When we first brought him to the hospital, the doctor said he would need surgery because he tried to put the elbow back but couldn't. After they got him to the operating room, they tried to reset it one more time and it worked, so he ended up not having an operation. Wouldn't it have been better to operate since they were having problems with it?
  • My sister-in-law says she has fibromyalgia and now she's saying that her daughter - who is only 14, by the way - has it too. I'm skeptical about the disease but even if it does exist, how can her daughter have it too?
  • My daughter has been diagnosed with the children's form of fibromyalgia. She's also very anxious about a lot of things but I can't figure out if she's anxious because she's living with fibromyalgia (and the pain and other issues) or her fibromyalgia acts up before she's anxious. Is there a way to tell?
  • Can you please explain what a hinge abduction is? Our 11-year old had Legg-Perthes disease when he was five years old. He has since developed increasing pain over the years because of this hinge abduction.
  • Our son has Perthes hip disease. We saw the X-rays with the deformed head. The surgeon is suggesting an osteotomy. I know they will cut out a piece of bone from the femur, but I don't exactly get how that's going to help.
  • Our nephew was born with several problems. Right now he's having surgery for a hip problem they call coxa vara. Can you tell us what this condition is and what to expect from the operation?
  • Our daughter was born with a condition called osteocondrodysplasia. The two main problems she has affect both her hips and her spine. They say she may need surgery when she gets older to help her hips. How will we know if this is necessary?
  • My grandson has what the doctor said was trigger finger of his thumb. My son had it a few years ago but he was an adult and he was told it was because he was using his hand too much in the same motion again and again - and it wasn't his thumb. Since my grandson is only 9 months old, how can he have trigger finger? Is it from sucking his thumb?
  • Does my child have to have surgery for her trigger finger of the thumb?
  • When I take my baby for her check ups, her doctor uses the nail on his finger and strokes the bottom of my baby's foot. Why does he do that?
  • Our 13-year old daughter is involved in soccer. Her pediatrician just discovered that she has scoliosis. I thought kids who were active in sports didn't get stuff like this. Is it because she always kicks the ball with her right leg or what?
  • Is it true that having scoliosis is connected for girls with eating disorders? I'm a middle-school soccer coach and I'm always interested in educating our girls about health and development.
  • We have adopted a little boy from Japan. He has a condition called multiple cartilaginous exostoses. We will be taking him to see our pediatrician about this problem. How do they usually treat this condition?
  • Can you tell me what exostosis means? X-rays taken on our daughter show there is exostosis causing loss of ankle motion. We're not sure what that means.
  • Our 13-year-old daughter has started tripping over her own feet. We can't tell if this is because she's at that awkward teenage stage or if it's because she used to have Perthes disease in her left hip. What do you suggest?
  • Our 11-year old daughter wants to do gymnastics badly. But when she went to the first couple of classes, it became apparent that she doesn't have full motion of her right hip. When she was four-years-old, our pediatrician said she had Perthes disease. There wasn't any special treatment at that time. We just had to take her in every six months for check-ups. Did we miss something?
  • What is a schwannoma and how serious is it?
  • I was just diagnosed with a neurilemmoma of the arm. The tumor was removed but it turned out to be a nerve tumor in the bone. What causes that to happen?
  • My sister runs her kids to the doctor for every little thing. Now all of a sudden, her son (my 10-year-old nephew) is complaining of severe hip pain and she's ignoring it. Could this be something serious?
  • Our son had surgery for a hip problem called SCFE. We thought the surgery was supposed to protect his hip and keep it from dying. The bone collapsed anyway from a lack of blood supply. Why did this happen?
  • My mom doesn't want me to snowboard (I'm 17). She says that there are too many injuries, like broken arms. I told her it's just like skiing like she does but she doesn't agree. Is snowboarding more dangerous? Or is it the people who take stupid chances while boarding?
  • How does falling on your hand, when you slip, break your arm up near the shoulder?
  • When I was at the hospital with my daughter, we saw a little girl with a "halo" around her head and pins in her skull. Doesn't that hurt and can that get infected?
  • My daughter's friend has scoliosis and uses a full body brace. Her mother said that she may have to have traction before she has surgery to fix her back. Would the brace not be the same thing as the traction?
  • Our grandbaby was born with spina bifida. I read about it on-line. What I can't understand is why this problem is supposedly better than having myelomeningocele. Aren't these two problems the same thing?
  • We have a 4-year-old child with myelomeningocele at the L5S1 level. He can walk and does pretty good, but his foot was in a heel-down/toes up position that caused sores to develop on his heel. He had surgery to fix the problem. He's supposed to wear plastic braces inside his shoes but he refuses. Will this undo the surgery?
  • Our first born son has myelomeningocele. They are going to do an operation to repair the spinal defect. What are the chances he will walk when he grows up?
  • My two youngest children are in daycare. I'm a single parent and have to work. Last year they came home with lice. This year there's a scare about staph infection that can eat the skin away. Is there anything I can do to help keep them safe?
  • Our 11-year-old daughter fell in soccer practice with half the team on top of her. She broke both bones in her forearm. They had to put a couple of screws in the bones to hold them together while she heals. I'm worried because she tends to be allergic to everything. Could she have an allergic reaction to the metal screws?
  • Our grandson has a slipped hip. He had surgery to put a pin through the cap of the bone to hold everything together as he grows. We are wondering how they will get that pin back out once the bone grows around it.
  • Have you ever heard of femoracetabular impingement in a child? My 11-year-old just had an MRI to confirm this is what's causing his hip pain. This is a new term for us. We are just trying to understand what it is.
  • Our 16-year-old daughter injured her hip when sliding into home plate during a softball game. The team won the divisional playoffs with that final run but she ended up with a labral tear of the hip. The surgeon has recommended a wait-and-see rehab approach. How likely is it that this tear can heal itself?
  • Our three-year-old daughter stopped walking all of a sudden last week. The doctor diagnosed her with a urinary tract infection that caused an abscess in her hip muscle. They had to do surgery to lance the abscess and drain it. She's also on antibiotics. I've agonized over this decision ever since. Could the antibiotic have taken care of the problem without the surgery? Could we have avoided the antibiotics and just had the abscess removed?
  • Every year my kid has to have a physical exam. It costs me a fortune. He's in perfect health. Is this really necessary? Is there any way to buck the system?
  • I'm really not very impressed with the preparticipation physical exam they do for our kids to qualify for sports. It seems like a waste of time and money. Do other people feel this way?
  • My eight-year-old child has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. We've been trying to find the right mix of medications and treatment to help with the symptoms. The worst is at night. We are up and down all night because of joint pain, crying, and just can't sleep. I'm exhausted. Can you suggest anything that might help?
  • We have a 14-year-old daughter with rheumatoid arthritis. She was first diagnosed when she was only 18 months old. So, we've been dealing with this disease for a long time. Everything was going fairly smoothly until she hit her teen years. Now we can't seem to convince her that how she eats, sleeps, and lives her life makes a difference. She is having flare-ups over and over. What can we do?
  • I'm tearing my hair out here. I have twin boys (12-years old) who are very competitive with each other. One child is supposed to be giving his knee a chance to heal from OCD. But he's so worried about being left behind, I can't see a difference between his rest mode and full-tilt activity. What can we do to help protect that joint until it heals?
  • Our eight-year-old son just had surgery for Perthes disease. I admit I'm a worrier, but what will happen to him when he's older? Will this problem affect him his whole life?
  • I'm a volleyball coach for middle and high school girls. In the last 10 years, I've seen a lot of girls come down with OCD. Is there something in the way we are training that is causing this (or could prevent it)?
  • Every year my husband and I have the same argument about the kids being old enough to ride on (or drive themselves!) our ATVs. We live on a ranch with a lot of open space so they aren't going to run into any traffic. But I think they are too young to handle the machine. There are pot holes, downed barb wire, and other unseen booby traps. He says I worry too much. What do the experts say about this?
  • Our two-year old neighbor was just killed in an ATV accident. He was thrown off the machine when it struck a tree. His eight-year-old sister was driving a children's ATV. This is a tragic and senseless death. Can't anything be done to keep kids off these things?
  • Our family was vacationing in Disney World when the youngest (six years old) got run over by a golf cart (of all things). He broke the middle of his thigh bone in two places. He was hospitalized and operated on. The surgeon put some kind of new FIIN pin to hold the bone in place. Everyone at the clinic was very enthusiastic about it. We never did figure out what was so special about it. Can you tell us?
  • My son is in the hospital for a badly broken ankle. I overheard the nurse saying there were four other kids in the unit -- all with femoral shaft fractures. What's that and what causes it?
  • Our family was vacationing in Disney World when the youngest (six years old) got run over by a golf cart (of all things). He broke the middle of his thigh bone in two places. He was hospitalized and operated on. The surgeon put some kind of new FIIN pin to hold the bone in place. Everyone at the clinic was very enthusiastic about it. We never did figure out what was so special about it. Can you tell us?
  • My 13-year-old son twisted his ankle while playing baseball. At first, we thought it was just a bad sprain. But it didn't get better, and an X-ray showed a crack at the bottom of the tibia. Now we are faced with the question of whether or not to cast the leg or do surgery and pin the bone before putting the cast on. How is this usually handled?
  • My son is in the hospital for a badly broken ankle. I overheard the nurse saying there were four other kids in the unit -- all with femoral shaft fractures. What's that and what causes it?
  • We just got the test results back on our son who has osteochondritis dissecans. Looks like it's a grade I condition. The surgeon explained to us that grade I is mild. The report says that it is a stable lesion. What does that mean?
  • My 11-year old son has developed a knee problem called OCD. We've decided to try the conservative route instead of surgery right away. How will we know when it's safe to let him start snowboarding and playing sports again?
  • Tomorrow, our 12-year-old will have surgery to pin her ankle from a fracture at the end of the leg bone. The surgeon wants to use screws that will dissolve. This will save us a second surgery to remove the screws. This sounds like a good idea. How long does it take for this to happen? Are there any problems that can occur?
  • My niece had a problem with the vertebrae just under her skull, but her doctor didn't detect it until she was five years old. Now my sister has to be careful and not allow my niece to take part in certain activities, like diving. Shouldn't this have been discovered sooner?
  • My daughter, she's 14, has a lot of complaints of pain. She complains of headaches, of pains in her stomach, you name it, she complains about it. What should we take seriously?
  • Why is there such an emphasis on "understanding" a child's pain. Pain is pain, isn't it?
  • Whenever my daughter brings her young baby to the doctor for a check-up, the doctor grabs the boy's legs and it looks like he's trying to push the hip in while he pushes the knee out. Why on earth is he doing that?
  • The other day, I met a mother and her child who was wearing a brace that held his hips apart in one place. The mother said something about a hip dislocation. How does this brace help?
  • My neighbor's daughter, who is about a year old, has a funny brace or cast on. Her legs are spread quite wide apart and she's been wearing it for a few weeks. My neighbor says it's called a spica cast but she didn't say why she has one. What are spica casts?
  • My son's leg healed shorter than the other after he broke the thigh bone. Is this normal?
  • What is Blount disease? I had never heard of it before and I heard someone mention it just the other day.
  • What is a growth plate?
  • What is a buckle wrist fracture? My four-year old has one of these.
  • Our 12-year-old son broke his forearm during a particularly spectacular tackle in junior league football. The surgeon decided not to operate and just put a cast on his arm. Three weeks later and the broken ends of the bone had separated again. Then he did have to have surgery. Shouldn't they just have pinned it in the first place?
  • Our five-year-old was involved in a skiing accident that resulted in her left hip getting dislocated. At the emergency department, they couldn't get the hip to go back in, so she ended up having surgery. We can't help but wonder if someone with more experience could have gotten the hip to relocate without surgery. What do you think?
  • My 10-year-old son tripped over the dog and fell. He fractured his pelvis and dislocated his hip. He's had surgery and is in rehab, but there is a sharp pain in his groin that just isn't going away. What could be causing this?
  • We have young children and would like to help them find the right sports activity for them. But we've also heard so much about injuries early on. Other parents tell us to watch out for sports with high-levels of competition and repetitive motions. Which sport(s) would you suggest where the rate of back injuries isn't so high? Those seem to run in our family.
  • If a young teen-ager has Kienbock's disease, is he treated the same, with the same kind of surgery as an adult?
  • Our daughter fell and broke her collar bone. The physician's assistant at the emergency department gave her a sling and told her to move it slowly and carefully for a few weeks. That's it. I've had a lot of friends tell me that's outdated and their kids had surgery right away. What's the latest on this problem?
  • I never see any kids playing outside like we used to. Is that why we're seeing more of them getting sick with diseases that used to be only in adults?
  • Do children really get back pain like adults? I read that if my child is more physically active, she'll have less of a chance of getting sick or having back pain later on. What can I do to get her active?
  • My 13-year-old foster daughter broke her collar bone. The pediatrician X-rayed it and recommended Tylenol and a sling. When I went to the pharmacy, they had several different kinds of slings. We're not sure which kind to use. There was a contraption that holds the arm down by its side, a figure-eight type around the armpits, and the kind you put your arm in when it's broken. I bought them all and will take back which ever ones we don't need.
  • We are wondering if we made the right choice for our son who was hit by a hockey stick and broke his collar bone. The X-ray showed a clean break with a slight displacement. The choice was between surgery to line up the bones perfectly with a metal plate and screws to hold it in place or a sling and let it heal the way it is. They say at his age (he's 10 years old), the bone will grow around the break and he'll never know the difference. Is that really true?
  • Have you ever heard of a flail extremity? Our grandson was diagnosed with this at birth. We're a thousand miles away in another state, with no way to know what's going on. What is this condition?
  • Our baby was born with some weird looking feet. The pediatrician says since she's not walking, we can just wait-and-see what happens. We're wondering if we shouldn't take her to Shriner's or some other children's hospital where a specialist could take a look. What do you recommend?
  • I saw a special on TV advertised about children with chronic pain. I didn't get to watch it, so I'm wondering what kinds of problems do kids have that can cause severe, long-lasting, disabling pain?
  • I'm really worried about my nine-year-old son. He's been complaining of back pain for several weeks. The pediatrician said not to worry about it -- it will go away on its own. But this is a child who is very active on several sports teams, and this just isn't like him. How much longer should we wait before doing something?
  • They used to do scoliosis screening in the schools when my older kids were in sixth grade. Now my younger children are coming home with letters from the school nurse saying they no longer do this and we should take our child to a medical doctor for this exam. Do I really need to make an appointment for this?
  • Our daughter has had severe migraine headaches since she was three years old. She's 12 now and nothing we've tried has helped. We've heard there's an inpatient center where she could go for a month. They use many techniques all together to try and stop the vicious cycle of pain and disability. We would all have to go because it's a family-oriented program. Would it really be worth the cost? What if, after all that, she doesn't get better?
  • I often rely on your website for information before taking my children to see the doctor. Last week, our youngest child (eight-years-old) started complaining of back pain. She didn't have a fever, swelling, warmth, or redness (or any other visible sign of a problem). So, I waited a few days. When it didn't go away, I took her in to see the pediatrician. The doctor wasn't very happy that I consulted the Internet before calling his office. Would you have done it any differently?
  • I read that back pain in children is always something serious and as parents, we shouldn't wait to take the kids to the doctor. But I can't afford to run my kids into the clinic for every ache and pain. How do we know it isn't just growing pains?
  • Our two-year-old was just diagnosed with Blount disease. If they catch this problem early, does it mean the results will be good?
  • Our 10-year-old son has had Blount disease since he was four. He's had numerous surgeries that have helped but haven't corrected the problem. Now they want to put a special external fixation device on him that he can adjust himself. I guess it's just the turn of a screw three or four times a day. Doesn't 10 seem too young to be in charge of this by himself?
  • Our son is in a pain management program that will require us as parents to attend some sessions with the psychologist. What should we expect from these sessions?
  • Can physical therapy help a 13-year old with chronic migraine headaches and neck pain? It's one of the few things we haven't tried, but we are wondering if it might be worth a try.
  • My two cousins had boys with clubfeet. Is it genetic? Does that mean I may have a child with a club foot?
  • I heard that clubfeet are because the baby didn't have enough room in your uterus when you're pregnant. I'm not very big, so I'm afraid that this may be possible for my children. Is it true?
  • My cousin's son was diagnosed with Blount's disease. I thought it was rare but then I learned of a coworker whose daughter has it too. So is it more common than I thought?
  • My niece was operated on for Blount's disease when she was much younger. Now, one leg is shorter than the other (the bad leg) and she has a lot of back pain and stuff. Does that mean that the surgery was messed up somehow? I don't call it a success.
  • My son is about to have surgery for a problem with the meniscus in his knee. He's 10. The doctor wants to do a full surgery instead of with the scope. I know that surgeons can do this with scopes because several people I know have had it. Why does he want to subject my son to an open surgery instead?
  • My friend's daughter has what they called discoid meniscus in her left knee. I've also heard the term in sports. What exactly is the meniscus?
  • My 12-year-old niece was diagnosed with a condition where her hip bone slipped or something like that. The doctors said it was unstable and she had to have emergency surgery. She's now got more problems with her hip and the doctors said that part of the bone died and that she needs more surgery. What does that mean?
  • My children are heavier than they should be. They don't exercise much because we're so busy. Now my son is complaining of hip pain and my mother says it's because he's so heavy. Is there any truth to this?
  • Our baby has dislocating hips. For the next few weeks at least she must wear a special harness. It holds her hips and knees up toward the chest and apart from each other. I'm supposed to take her in to the clinic every week for ultrasound studies of the hip. I'm worried the exposure to radiation could harm her. What should I do?
  • Our grandson was born with a slightly dislocated hip. They've put him in an awful harness-thing that looks very uncomfortable. Is this really necessary? I babysit him three days a week, and I just can't bear to see him in that contraption. Can I take it off at least while he's sleeping?
  • We went to a scoliosis clinic for my daughter who has been diagnosed with this problem. They did various tests and measures and recommended surgery. We are really worried this is just too much for her. If we went somewhere else for a second opinion, would they just tell us the same thing? We don't know what to do.
  • Have you ever heard of stereoradiographic X-rays for scoliosis? We've already had a ton of regular X-rays taken. Do we really need more just because the technology makes it possible?
  • I'm looking for any training tips I can find to help me be the best Little League pitcher in our district. Coach gave me a couple of books to read. I thought I'd check on-line for anything else that's out there. Since you have a section on children, I was wondering if you know what I should do.
  • In Little League play, what's the difference between pitching and throwing? I heard the coaches debating these terms but I didn't quite understand their point.
  • Our two-year old son fell over the dog when running through the house. He hit his head on the dining room table and suffered a fractured skull. Now the hospital has called in Child Protective Services to see if it was child abuse. We're scared to death they might not believe us and take him away. Is there anything we can do as parents to protect our child?
  • My father is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. I am doing some research to help him learn more about how to recognize child abuse that isn't always so obvious. Can you help me out?
  • I have a rotator cuff tear in my throwing arm that is keeping me off the baseball mound. The surgeon wants me to go through a physical therapy program instead of (or maybe before) having surgery. I would rather just have it operated on and get back in the game. Why can't they do that?
  • Basketball season is just about to start. During the early practice season, I tore my left ACL and had surgery. If I go back too soon, will I risk reinjuring myself?
  • I'm a grandmother now and my two-year-old granddaughter has clubfeet (both sides). I'm trying not to interfere but my daughter and her husband don't seem to be taking the treatment seriously. The little girl is supposed to wear a special splint at night. When we visited last week, I never saw them put it on her. They say she doesn't like it and screams all night. Do you have any suggestions?
  • Our baby was born with clubfeet. He's so very tiny but they are still insisting he will need treatment with casting and bracing. For now, we move his feet and ankles through the motion that he has. The hope is that we will be able to restore full motion without additional treatment. How does the doctor tell when the treatment has worked?
  • How do you know when a child is making up pain to get out of something or really hurting? Our 12 year-old son hasn't been doing well on his soccer team. Now he's suddenly developed back pain. He says he got kicked in the back in the last game but no one saw it happen. We think maybe he just doesn't want to go back. What should we do?
  • What can you tell me about posterior element overuse syndrome? That's what our daughter has been told that she has.
  • My 13-year-old son is growing like a weed. Besides growing pains, he seems to be accident-prone. First he had Osgood's disease. Now he has an injured hamstring muscle. Is there any way to help prevent some of these problems? He's very athletic so all these injuries took us by surprise.
  • What's the treatment for Sever's disease? Our eleven-year-old daughter was just diagnosed with this. They say she will have to give up her gymnastics for awhile. What else?
  • Is it really true that children shouldn't have surgery to repair a torn ACL until after they are 14?
  • My nine-year-old daughter started developing a bump on her foot that rubbed against any shoes or sandals she wore. She had an X-ray and we found out she has something called calcaneonavicular fusion. We are waiting for the appointment with an orthopedist. Can you tell us a little about this condition? What is it? What should we expect? Why does she have it?
  • Our twin boys both have a condition called calcaneonavicular coalition. Since they are mirror twins, one has this problem on the left foot, the other has it on the right foot. Only one twin is really bothered by the condition -- and that's probably because he is more active in sports activities. If we have surgery done on the twin with the painful foot, should we have the same surgery done on the other child (even though he doesn't seem bothered by the problem)?
  • Our nine-month-old son was seen at the Shriners Hospital for a developing scoliosis. He has a left-curve that already measures 45-degrees. The surgeons recommended a new procedure with a titanium, expandable rib. What can you tell us about this?
  • Have you ever heard of scoliosis in a baby? Our son isn't even five months old yet, and they are diagnosing him with scoliosis of unknown cause. We don't know anyone on either side of our families who have had this. We don't know what to make of it.
  • What kind of treatment is prescribed for osteochondritis of the knee if surgery isn't done?
  • I'm wondering what happens to people who don't have surgery for osteochondritis of the knee?
  • I pitch for my high school baseball team. This summer, I'd like to work on increasing my pitch speed. Are there some quick tips you can offer me?
  • How do we get our 13-year-old son to stop pitching when he's tired? It's clear to us when he needs to take a rest, but he doesn't want to lose face or let his team down. It's a real dilemma.
  • I read somewhere that we can't really control anything, so we shouldn't worry because there's nothing we can do to change whatever we are worrying about. But I have to admit, when it comes to my children participating in sports events, I can't help but worry they will get hurt. Maybe if I knew more about just how often injuries occur, I might be able to relax. Is it inevitable that the longer they play, the greater the risk?
  • If you have bone cancer of the leg, does it always mean they have to cut it off? I remember when Patrick Kennedy had his cancer. Have things changed since then? I'm asking because my nephew has been told he has osteosarcoma. And that's all I know about the disease.
  • Our 14-year-old daughter was diagnosed with osteosarcoma of the femur -- just at the end of the bone where it meets the lower leg to form the knee joint. We are trying to be optimistic but we'd really like to know what to expect in the coming months to years. Will she even have that long?
  • Our first grandchild was born this week. Unfortunately, he has some problems. The most obvious is congenital scoliosis. They are testing him to see if there's anything else wrong. What causes this problem in newborns?
  • Our baby was born without a sacral bone. I took prenatal vitamins, I did yoga and Tai chi, I was very careful with my diet. What could I have done wrong?
  • Our three-year old tripped over the dog and then somehow the dog (a big black lab) fell on him, breaking his upper leg. The emergency department questioned each family member separately. It was as if we had something to do with it. Is that standard? The more I think about it, the angrier I feel being treated like that.
  • The kids are down for a nap so I can get this off to you quickly. We had a mishap on the playground today. My eight-year-old daughter was holding our toddler while coming down the slide. I was at the bottom to catch them. But the toddler's foot got stuck up against the side of the slide. He was screaming by the time they got to the bottom. I can't see anything wrong but I thought I heard a pop when it happened. Should I take him in for an X-ray or just wait and see how he is after the nap?
  • I heard a report on the news that you shouldn't hold a child on your lap while going down a playground slide. Why not?
  • We are heading into unknown territory for us. Even with three other children, we've never had a child with this problem: developmental dysplasia of the hips. No one else in the family has ever had this that we know of. Both hips are affected. What are the chances for this child of still developing a normal hip?
  • Our first grandchild was born last week. At the baby's first well-child check-up today, the pediatrician noticed a problem with the hip maybe not being in the socket all the way. For now, my daughter is just double diapering him. But if that doesn't work, then what? How long does it take to turn around a problem like this?
  • Three months ago, I broke my elbow playing softball (I'm 14-years-old). It was a break in the round bottom part of the upper arm bone. It wasn't just a simple break though. The ends of the bone separated, so I had to have surgery to pin the two sides back together. I'm out of the cast now by six weeks, and I'm noticing a big bump along the outside of my elbow where the break was. What is this?
  • My 12-year-old son broke his elbow in a weird sort of way -- the round end of his upper arm (where it meets the elbow) broke. It wasn't until a week later that we finally realized something was wrong and took him to the doctor. By that time, there was a big bump visible along the outside of his elbow. The doctor thinks it was a fracture that got worse over time and separated. Since he wasn't treated until a week had gone by, will this affect the results?
  • I am a 13 year old girl with knee pain that only goes away when I sit and do nothing. The doctor says I have osteochondritis dissecans. I looked this up on-line and found out it's from an injury or repetitive sports activity. I'm not a sports freak, ballerina, gymnast, or athlete of any kind. So why do I have this problem?
  • Our 14-year-old son had surgery for osteochondritis dissecans after months of being on crutches and inactive. Unfortunately, the operation didn't work. We were so hopeful for him but it looks like the end of his snowboarding adventures. Any idea why the surgery didn't help? Other kids seem to bounce back, no problem.
  • Our 13-year-old has a severe case of scoliosis. It appeared out of the blue. They tell us it can be genetic. But what makes the spine curve like that?
  • I have a type of scoliosis that was severe enough to have surgery when I was a kid. Now my daughter has the same thing. When I had surgery, they used Harrington rods. The surgeon showed us how she would use screws instead of rods for my daughter's correction. It seems like those long rods would work better than the little screws they showed us. Will this really hold her?
  • I'm really nervous that I might have screwed up with my baby. She was born with a clubfoot on the right side. The pediatrician sent me to a special clinic where they teach parents how to stretch the foot and use elastic tape to hold it in place. There's a little splint she wears over the tape, too. I think I've done everything right, but the foot isn't getting better. This is my first baby and I want her to be perfect. How much longer should I wait before I say something to the doctor?
  • Our grandson was born six weeks ago with a clubfoot deformity. He is being treated at a physical therapy clinic where they move his foot and hold it in a corrected position and then put a cast on it for awhile. This is an awkward question, but the therapist looks like he's just out of high school. How can we be sure he really knows what he's doing? We don't want to be overbearing grandparents, but we're concerned.
  • Our 14-year-old son has been battling an elbow problem since he was 11. It's called osteochondritis dissecans. He's been in and out of therapy for that time, and he's had two surgeries that didn't work. A new surgeon in town has suggested trying something called mosaicplasty. What can you tell us about this procedure?
  • I've been restricted from playing baseball (or any other sport) for the next six weeks (up to six months) because I have something called OCD. I'm not allowed to throw a ball, do any weight lifting, or even carry a heavy backpack in that hand. What are my chances that this will work? And what if it doesn't?
  • Our ten-year-old daughter developed cellulitis that went to the bone. She's in the hospital for treatment. We're trying to figure out how serious this is and how long she might be hospitalized. We both work full-time and need to make arrangements. What can you tell us?
  • I just came back from the hospital where my five-year-old niece is being treated for an infected knee joint. They have no idea how she got this but say it can be treated with antibiotics. It's some kind of a staph infection. Is there danger that it could be that new MRSA infection I hear about?
  • Our baby has a hip problem they want us to use an ugly old harness thing to hold his legs apart. Do we really need to do this? Won't he outgrow this problem? It looks like some kind of torture device.
  • My new grandbaby has a dislocated hip. I guess he was born that way. They are not sure if this is a genetic thing or if he got into a bad position inside the womb. In any case, since it's only one side, will it heal up better than if both hips were affected?
  • We are making decisions for our six-year-old daughter that she will have to live with for the rest of her life. She has a condition called Blount disease (bow legs) and may need surgery. Is there any information on how these kids feel about their results years later (like when they are adults)?
  • We took our son to a specialty clinic for surgery on his knees because he was extremely bow-legged. There's a special name for this condition (Blount disease). That was last year. Now this year, they have sent him a questionnaire to fill out about his pain, satisfaction level, and function. He's only nine years old! How can he answer questions about his satisfaction with the surgery or his quality of life?
  • Every time we take our daughter in for scoliosis checks, a different person reads the X-rays. Wouldn't it be better if just one person measured and remeasured her? I just don't trust that the changes we are being told are present aren't because of the way the measurements are taken.
  • In our community, there is a special digitized computer that can be used to measure scoliosis. We have some baseline X-rays already taken of our 11 year-old daughter with this problem. The computerized method costs more. Is it more accurate?
  • Please help us -- our seven-year-old grandson has septic arthritis of the hip. He's been hospitalized for treatment. There's a real concern about the infection going into the bone. What would cause this to happen? Can we do anything? How likely is it? I'm just so worried, I can't think straight.
  • My 10-year-old niece is in the hospital having her knee drained because of an infection in the joint. They said it usually clears up with one session of drainage. She'll be on antibiotics for awhile. What if it doesn't clear up? Then what?
  • My son was diagnosed a few years ago with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. He does well most of the time, but when his pain is really bad, he doesn't want to do anything, even go to school. My wife babies him and allows him to get his own way. I think that this is causing him to drag his pain complaints out longer. Is this possible or am I just being mean, as my wife says?
  • When my daughter was little, she was diagnosed with arthritis. She's been doing quite well despite some periods when she has a lot of pain. Unfortunately, her illness has made it really hard for my husband and me. Although we both act as a team in front of her, we are really being torn apart by her health. We're stressed by her dealing with the pain and we often end up blaming each other. Do other parents have the same problem?
  • Three children in my son's grade 4 have broken their arm over the past four months. I've never seen so many breaks in such a short time. Yesterday, my son broke his, making that four. Three of the children had surgery, but my son didn't. Why is that?
  • My grand-daughter broke her arm a few months ago and had it reset. She had to go under a general anesthetic for that. Unfortunately, the arm wasn't healing and then she had to have surgery. On the other hand, my cousin's son broke his arm in the same place, he had surgery and had no problems with healing. Shouldn't my grand-daughter have had surgery right away?
  • My son, 8 years old, is always complaining of back pain. The doctor can't find anything wrong with him and I think he's using it as an excuse to get out of things. How can I tell if this is true?
  • My grandson has had back pain for a few months. He's 11. The doctor's can't find anything - why not?
  • When we were little, my cousin had bowed legs and the doctor said he just needed vitamins. His legs got better but not completely. There's a boy down the street with bowed legs and his mother told me it's Blount disease that causes it and that it will get worse so he's going to have surgery for a brace thing where wires stick out. What's the difference?
  • I was told that Blount's disease was a rare disease, but we have two kids in our family with it. Were we just unlucky?
  • Please help me out here. I'm writing about our 16-year-old son. Had a ski accident and maybe broke his knee cap. Docs say it might be something called bipartite patella and not really a fracture. The accident just brought this to our attention because he had an X-ray. Broken or not? We are waiting to find out. What's the treatment for something like this?
  • Our 12-year-old daughter is very active in sports of all kinds. When she was 10, she hurt her knee in a soccer tournament. The X-rays at that time were negative but since her pain never went away, we finally had an MRI done last week. It turns out she has a torn meniscus of all things. We are looking into treatment options. What's generally recommended for an injury like this in children?
  • We are missionaries living in a rural area of a small country with very few hospitals. Our nine-year-old daughter fell off a chair and broke her leg. We are trying to decide if this can be treated here or if we need to fly to a different country where the health care is more developed. She has a fracture of the shaft of the thigh bone. How would this be treated in the United States?
  • My six-month-old son is a regular acrobat. He can twist and turn out of my arms like you wouldn't believe. He was on the changing table and took a dive. I grabbed him by the leg and his thigh bone broke but at least I saved him from crashing onto his head. Fortunately my pediatrician knows what he's like or I might have been accused of child abuse (at least that's what she told me). The question now is how to treat him. He's at the age where he could still be put in a harness instead of a cast. But he's so active, will a harness hold him? What do the experts recommend?
  • A boy on my son's soccer team was recently admitted to the hospital with "super bug" infection in his leg that the coach said began as a small scrape on his shin. Now, the boy may lose his leg to an amputation. How can that happen? He was perfectly healthy.
  • My nephew broke his collarbone while playing football. His doctor said that it could be treated with a sling or he could have surgery. If it could be treated both ways, why would surgery even be an option given its risks?
  • Why is the collarbone so easy to break?
  • My husband and I have a long-running argument about our children and using seatbelts. He says it's ok for them to loop the chest strap behind them because they find it more comfortable and they'll be more willing to wear it during long drives, especially if they have to sleep. I don't agree and I want them to wear the belts all the time, properly. I say they're made that way for a reason. Who is right?
  • I read that baby quilts shouldn't be made with nylon threads because they can come loose and twist around a baby's toe or finger, causing it to have to be cut off. Is this true?
  • Can a strand of hair really cause enough damage to hurt a child's toe if it's wrapped around it? I read a story about it but it seems a bit far-fetched. Hair?
  • My grandson broke his right collarbone last year, falling off a jungle gym at school. He had his arm in a sling for quite a while and the doctor said that it healed. But he's got a bump on the bone where it broke and you can really feel it. His doctor didn't seem concerned and says so many kids break collarbones that he should know. Is this true or could it be serious?
  • My daughter broke her collarbone when she fell off her bike. She was 10. What I don't understand is why her collarbone broke because she put her hand out to stop the fall.
  • My son is studying medicine thinking of being an orthopedic surgeon and wants to work with children. What type of work does that involve?
  • My child was in an accident and had to have surgery to repair some broken bones. I requested that the surgeon who repaired my broken leg do it, but he said that it has to be an pediatric orthopedic surgeon. Other than one operating on adults and the other on children, what's the difference?
  • How do doctors know what size screws and stuff to use in a child who is having back surgery? Don't their spines grow, causing problems with stuff that's in their back?
  • I read that you shouldn't let your child play a sport like baseball if he is going to be throwing the same way all the time. This can lead to injury to his elbow. Is this true?
  • My son had to undergo surgery on his elbow because there were some dead pieces of bone floating around in the joint. His doctor said it was because of the sports he plays. Is this possible?
  • My cousin's son broke his left arm, a bit above his elbow. It was broken for over a day before his father finally brought him to the doctor. The parents said that they didn't know that their son had broken a bone. How could you not know his arm was badly hurt?
  • My grandson was having a lot of hip pain and when he went to the doctor, the doctor told him he had stable SCFE - a hip dislocation but that he had done that several months ago. He's only 12 years old! How is that possible when he never even hurt himself?
  • My nephew had a dislocated hip that the doctor said wasn't unusual for such a large boy. He's 14 and quite overweight. He didn't have much pain until recently, but the doctor said he had it for quite a while. What are the symptoms of a dislocation caused by being overweight?
  • Our family was involved in a 10-car pile up during one of those winter storms that affected the Midwest. We were stuck in the line of cars with a child whose leg was broken and severely mangled. It was 10 hours before he was finally at a trauma center and treated. Unfortunately, the leg couldn't be saved and had to be amputated just below the knee. I guess I can't help but wonder if there would have been any chance of saving that leg if we could have gotten him to the hospital sooner.
  • Our child was born with hip dysplasia and has to wear a special harness all day, every day. The pediatrician warned us about how important this harness is for a successful result. But she also mentioned that even with daily use, it doesn't always work. Why not?
  • Is it possible that our son who was diagnosed with hip dysplasia just has loose hips like the rest of us? We are all very flexible in all our joints. Maybe he is, too.
  • Why do more girls have scoliosis in the family than boys? I don't think I know of any boys with it.
  • If the cause of inherited scoliosis is unknown, why are researchers looking at the genes of people with it?
  • My grandson, who is 6 years old, has something called osteoid osteoma. His doctor doesn't seem overly concerned and did say my grandson will have surgery so he won't have any more pain. Shouldn't the doctor be more aggressive?
  • A student in my class is having surgery for osteoid osteoma, he's 13 years old. I've not heard of it before. I know it's not serious but what population gets this type of problem?
  • My daughter's friend has scoliosis but she doesn't look that different. She told me that she has two curves, one balancing out the other. Can this be true?
  • My grandson was diagnosed with scoliosis last year when he was entering middle school. His mother had him playing sports very young and he fell a lot. I was worried and now believe that this is what caused the back problem, pushing him too hard.
  • My daughter knows two girls who have scoliosis. One has a brace and the other one is going to have surgery. Why the different treatments? When the girls were talking about it, it sounds like the one with the brace actually has a worse curve than the one going for surgery.
  • The PTA at our elementary school sent out a flyer looking for volunteers to participate in a study. They are measuring the effects on kids' spines from wearing heavy backpacks. I am very concerned about this problem and would like to sign our two boys (ages 8 and 10) up. But it involves taking more than one MRI. How safe is that?
  • Our 10-year-old daughter is already showing signs of scoliosis. The school nurse is convinced that carrying a heavy backpack on one shoulder is contributing to this problem in many of the younger school-aged children. Is there any evidence that this might be true? We are concerned enough to take our child's X-rays to the school board and file a formal complaint.
  • Our 12-year-old son hurt his back playing soccer. Turns out he has a herniated disc that isn't responding to steroid injections or physical therapy. He's scheduled for surgery to remove the disc and now our questions begin: how well does this work? How soon will he be able to get back into the game? Will he be doomed to have back problems the rest of his life?
  • I am a 14-years-old girl, very active in sports like soccer, basketball, and a little hockey. I got blasted by another girl in my last hockey practice. My back hurts a little but mostly I notice I'm crooked when I look in the mirror. One shoulder is higher than the other and I seem to be leaning to the side. I can't make myself go any straighter. What in the world could be wrong with me?
  • My grandma used to complain of back pain that went down her leg. She always called it sciatica. I'm only 12 years old but I seem to have the same problem. I'm very active in sports and it's really a problem sometimes. Is this a hereditary problem? Is there anything that can be done?
  • Our 14-year-old daughter is a top basketball player. But she's out of the game now because of a back injury. The doctors call it spondylolysis. She's wearing a back brace and sitting on the bench. How long will it take to recover from this type of problem?
  • My nephew is being treated for a clubfoot. The doctors keep changing his cast every week until they think he's ready for surgery. Wouldn't a brace be better so they could just adjust it rather than change a cast all the time. It seems to be such a waste.
  • My grandchild has two clubfeet and her mother won't put the child's brace on whenever she is sleeping, like the doctor said to. My daughter-in-law says the baby doesn't like it. Will this mean her foot may go back to where it was before?
  • A child in our neighborhood jumped out of a tree aiming for a trampoline below but missed. He ended up with a fracture of the sacrum that couldn't be seen on X-rays or CT scans. It wasn't until an MRI was done that the problem showed up much later. Now there are serious neurologic problems as a result. I'm just wondering how the doctors could have missed this. We're trying to be supportive to the family, but we think they should sue.
  • My son was diagnosed with a condition called osteochondritis dissecans of the knee a little over a year ago. The doctor told us to wait and see if it got worse. In the meantime, my son wasn't able to play soccer for many months. Finally, after about 10 months, the doctor decided to operate and after recuperation, my son was fine. But he lost all that activity time, which is a big part of his social life. Shouldn't the doctor have operated sooner if he was going to anyway?
  • My grandson has a disease called osteochondritis dissecans in his knee. The doctor wants to keep him from playing sports and other physical activities to see if it will heal on its own. But I've read that this can take months, even a year, and that surgery is possible. Why keep my grandson from being active if surgery is an option?
  • Is a the hip problem slipped capital femoral epiphysis more common in certain groups of people?
  • How is slipped capital femoral epiphysis treated? I heard about it the other day when a colleague mentioned it.
  • Can you tell me what the prognosis is for our granddaughter who was recently diagnosed with juvenile arthritis? How long does it last? Will she outgrow it?
  • Our little three-year-old princess is being checked over by a team of specialists at our university health care system. There is some suspicion that she may have some type of childhood arthritis. My wife is beside herself with worry. Before we go in for our next appointment to find out the results of testing, I want to try and find out as much about this disease as possible. What can you tell me?
  • My grand-daughter was born with problems with his hip, dysplasia, that the doctor says is common. Is there anything in particular that made her more susceptible to it than my other grandchildren?
  • When I brought my 2-month old baby for his well-baby check, I was shocked to learn that he had a dislocated hip. The doctor called it dysplasia. What are the symptoms, because I didn't see anything out of the ordinary.
  • Our three-year old woke up one morning last week and couldn't straighten her elbow. After two days with a bent elbow, we took her to the pediatrician and found out she has something called congenital synostosis. We saw the X-ray and heard the explanation but can you please explain this to us again?
  • Can a child be born with two clubfeet?
  • My sister had twins and one had a clubfoot on the left. Her mother-in-law is saying it's because the babies were too crowded and the other twin caused it by taking up too much space. Is this true?
  • My daughter has a 10-year-old son who was just diagnosed with a problem we see on our reservation: Navajo arthropathy. They tell me this is inherited and can be serious. What's the best way to help my grandson with this condition?
  • I am a physical therapist just starting out. My first job is on a reservation in Utah working for Indian Health Services. Yesterday was a clinic for children with special needs. There were two children there with a problem I've never heard of: Navajo Familial Neurogenic Arthropathy. Can you give me some information about this condition?
  • We are getting ready to adopt a child who was born in Puerto Rico but is currently living in an orphanage in Miami. The social worker told us he has something called Steel Syndrome. We still want to adopt this special needs child. But can you tell us a little more about this problem?
  • My brother's child (our niece) has been diagnosed with Steel Syndrome. We have another friend whose child has this condition, so we know a little bit about it. Our niece has both hips dislocated and may need surgery. They are asking us to help financially. We are willing to help contribute to the cause but wanted to find out more about the success of this operation. Does it work? Will she need more surgery later?
  • The dog knocked our eight-year-old over in a tug-of-war game they were playing. He ended up breaking his arm just above the elbow. I guess technically it's considered an elbow fracture. The question we have is why did they put pins through the bone when he's already in a cast?
  • How long does it take for nerve injuries to heal from pins through the elbow? Our son has a fracture of the upper arm bone just above the elbow. Pins were placed through the bone to hold it all together while it healed. The cast is off and the pins are out but there are some nerve problems.
  • Our 14-year-old daughter injured her knee playing outdoor soccer. The tests show she has a torn meniscus and a torn ACL. The surgeon is talking about repairing both problems in one operation (as opposed to fixing the meniscus first and later taking care of the ACL). My husband is an accountant and I'm a stay-at-home Mom. We just don't have any experience or knowledge to help us in this area. What's the best way to go with this?
  • Our 15-year-old daughter just had surgery to repair a broken femur. Guess they had to stick a long nail down inside the bone to hold all the pieces together while it heals. What kind of problems and recovery can we expect with something like this?
  • We just came back from a medical conference about the best way to treat our son who has a broken leg. Evidently his weight (200 pounds) and age (13 years old) along with the type of fracture are making this a more complex problem than we ever imagined. The surgeons thought it would be okay to use a titanium nail down inside the bone even though he weighs so much. The final decision is ours to make but we don't really know what to say. What can you tell us about these nails?
  • Our five-year-old son has a bump on the tip of his finger and he can't seem to straighten the joint. The pediatrician is sending us to an orthopedic surgeon for an evaluation. What could be causing something like this in a child so young?
  • Our 15-year-old daughter is well on her way to having a career in the golf world. But she's having a problem we just can't seem to figure out -- left buttock pain. It seems to start along the back of her hip and go down to the middle of her buttock. We are going to see a specialist next week to have some tests done. What are some of the possible causes of a problem like this in someone so young?
  • My 15-year-old daughter just had surgery on her hip to fix a dysplasia. She is refusing to do her physiotherapy exercises. She says she doesn't feel like it. Will this have a big effect on her recovery?
  • My daughter is going to have surgery for adolescent hip dysplasia. What should we be seeing in terms of recovery?
  • My beautiful little niece, who is 4 years old, has a problem with her toes - one is a lot larger than all the others. It looks awful and we just want to cry whenever we see it. She had a bit of trouble learning how to walk because she needs one shoe bigger than the other and it doesn't fit her properly. Why doesn't her doctor just amputate the toe?
  • My 8-year-old son broke his elbow when he fell off his bike. The doctor said he needed surgery because blood wasn't getting into his lower arm, because of the break. How does this happen?
  • Can I refuse to have surgery done on my daughter? She broke her elbow a few days ago and her doctor wants to operate, saying that there is something wrong with the arterial blood flow. I can easily find a pulse, so I don't want her to have unnecessary surgery. Am I right?
  • When my brother broke his collarbone when he was 15, the doctor just wrapped him up in a sling until the arm healed. A few weeks ago, my son who is 14, broke his collarbone after he fell off his bike. The doctor says he needs surgery. His break didn't seem any different than my brother's but the doctor said they like operate now on these. Wouldn't it be better just to wait and see?
  • My daughter was born with a clubfoot that needed surgery. She had casting for a while and that didn't work, so we moved to the next step. I thought it would solve the problem completely, but her doctor told me that she may not have as strong a foot as everyone else, even when she is an adult. Why would that be?
  • If we use casts to correct a clubfoot, why is surgery needed?
  • Our son is marrying a girl who wants to be a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. Is there even such a career like this available? We looked in the yellow pages here and didn't see any listings for physicians like that.
  • When I was nine-years-old, I fell off my bike and broke my elbow. The break was on the outside part of the upper arm bone right at the elbow. Now my son did the same thing (at the same age, same elbow). It's been 20 years since my break, so I don't remember all the details. What kinds of problems should we be watching for while he's on the mend?
  • Our four-year-old fell down the stairs in our split-level home. She broke her arm just above the elbow. They put her in a cast and later had to do surgery becaude the break separated inside the cast. Does this happen very often?
  • As a store manager in a department store with an escalator, we are aware of the dangers to young children riding the moving stairs. Already this summer, we've had two children with severe toe injuries. Both were wearing Crocs that got caught in the stairs. We have a sign posted but we can't stop people from taking their children on the escalator. Is anything being done to change the design of these shoes or take them off the market?
  • I just want to let everyone know of the dangers of escalators for young children wearing clogs. Our three-year-old granddaughter lost her big toe when her Crocs got caught between the top step and the metal plate at the top of the escalator. Please let all of your readers know.
  • Our daughter fell during cheerleading camp from the top of a human pyramid her squad was practicing. She broke both bones in her forearm. The surgeon thought it might be possible to hold both bones in place by just using one metal rod down one of the bones. We agreed but we are wondering if we did the right thing. Maybe both bones should have been held in place with rods. What do you think?
  • Our son broke both the radius and the ulna bones of the forearm. The breaks occurred in the middle of the bone of the left arm. Fortunately, he is right handed. They performed a single-bone fixation by putting one metal rod down one bone. The other bone was left to heal without this procedure. Our question is: shouldn't they have put a rod down both bones?
  • Our baby boy was born with hip dysplasia in both hips. We used the Pavlik harness faithfully and it worked for one hip. The other hip is still dislocated. What happens next?
  • We have suddenly become "parents" again taking care of our 10-month old granddaughter who has been abandoned by her mother. We took her to the pediatrician and found out she has hip dysplasia that was never treated as a baby. The doctor thought it would be worth trying a harness for a few weeks but we found some information on the Internet that says the harness doesn't work in older babies. What do you think?
  • Can you tell us what Loeys-Dietz syndrome is? We've never heard of it and can't find much on the Internet about it. Our three-month old grandson has this problem.
  • My sister's son has some funny facial features (long thin face) and odd abilities. For example, when he puts his thumb across his palm and closes his fingers around the thumb, you can see the tip of his thumb poking out the other (baby finger) side. None of her other children and none of mine can do this. Am I making something out of nothing here or should his doctor take a look at these things?
  • It wasn't until my uncle died that we discovered Marfan syndrome runs in the family. Now three of our family members (including one of our children) have been diagnosed with this condition. Isn't this something the pediatrician should have picked up?
  • Our eight-year-old sliced his hand on a broken drainage pipe. The surgeon thinks the nerve that got cut might recover. For now, our son in in a special splint but surgery might be needed in the future. How are these things decided anyway? We are on pins and needles worrying about what's going to happen.
  • Can you tell me what a peel-off ligament injury is in the knee? That's what our 11-year-old nephew has -- from a skateboarding injury no less!
  • I am an orthopedic physical therapist working in a sports medicine clinic. We just had an unusual referral for a 12-year-old-boy who had a soccer injury. The diagnosis is peel-off injury. Do you have any guidelines for post-op treatment for this type of injury?
  • I had trigger finger once so I recognized it when I saw it in our five-year-old. I didn't know children could get this. What causes it?
  • Is it always the case that trigger finger requires surgery? We have a three-year-old with this condition (middle finger on the left hand). We would just as soon adopt a wait-and-see approach and let nature take its course. But we are worried that he will be permanently stuck with his finger bent. What do you advise?
  • We live in a fairly rural setting. There isn't a pediatric orthopedic surgeon in our area so we are relying on the general orthopedic surgeon from the region. How do specialists in other areas treat a problem like osteochondritis dissecans of the elbow? That's what our 11-year-old son has.
  • What's the difference between Panner disease and OCD of the elbow? Our 10 year old is being evaluated for both.
  • What's the prognosis for osteochondritis dissecans of the elbow? Our 13-year-old son has this from throwing balls for his dogs -- over and over and over.
  • The surgeon explained to us today how our child could develop a problem with blood supply to the hip after surgery (she has slipped capital femoral epiphysis). There could even be death of the bone. Is there anything we can do to keep this from happening once we get her home?
  • What is the difference between stable and unstable slipped capital femoral epiphysis? Our nephew has the unstable kind.
  • I just came home from a visit with the neighbor child who was in a hunting accident (shot in the back by mistake). Now he has a spinal cord injury and is paralyzed. They have him in a hard plastic brace but he can barely move in it. Wouldn't it be better to let him move as much as possible without that thing?
  • Our 11-year-old granddaughter was in a car accident and has a broken spine. There is real concern that she has damage to the spinal cord that could leave her paralyzed. We're looking for any information that could help us guide her parents through this difficult time.
  • I'm hearing more and more about athletes getting concussions from running into each other. All three of our kids are on soccer teams. They seem to love hitting the ball with their heads. Could this cause a concussion?
  • Our son is now a freshman on his high school football team. This is a first for our family. We had to sign a medical waiver releasing the school from liability for any injuries, including concussions. What should we watch for to know if our son does have a concussion?
  • What can you tell me about the expandable rods used for scoliosis in young children? What are the risks? What kind of complications can develop?
  • What does early-onset scoliosis mean? Our three-year-old granddaughter has just been diagnosed with this condition. How is it treated?
  • We've adopted a little boy from China who has some special needs. He was diagnosed early with a hip problem called Perthes. We don't have much information on this or on his family. Is it something he inherited? Could it be from living in an orphanage from birth? What can you tell us?
  • Our four-year-old grandson has been diagnosed with Perthes hip disease. The parents (our daughter and son-in-law) are trying to find out if surgery is needed. What are the indications for surgery? If surgery isn't needed, is there some other type of treatment instead?
  • Our eight-year-old son has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. He's already confined to a wheelchair and had surgery last year to fuse his spine. He was doing pretty good until a couple of months ago. Now he is complaining of back pain for the first time. Sometimes it's hard to tell what is attention getting "pain" and what is real. Can a fused spine really hurt?
  • I am so frustrated, I could scream. We went through months of agonizing decisions about our daughter who has a chromosomal defect and is severely handicapped. She had surgery to fuse her spine so she could breathe again. Now we find out she needs another operation to "revise" the first operation. Does this happen to everyone? Why don't they warn us this could happen?
  • How old are kids these days when they stop growing? Everything seems so speeded up. I wondered if maybe bone takes longer now that everyone is so much taller. What about bone fractures in kids? Any differences there?
  • What's the worst thing that can happen after a fracture of the ankle involving the talus? We have a young family member (16-years-old) with this type of injury from a car accident. No one at our local hospital seems to know much about this type of problem in kids or teens. All we have to go on is what they tell us happens to adults.
  • Our five-year-old grandson jumped off the roof of our carport to see if he could fly. Unfortunately, even with a good imagination, he was unable to do anything but hit the ground and break his ankle. The surgeon says this is a fairly rare type of injury (talus fracture). We are looking for any information about what to expect -- will he recover? Will he have a bum ankle from now on?
  • Our daughter had a badly displaced fracture of the long arm bone just above the elbow that was not treated for a full 24 hours. She was at a summer camp when it happened. By the time they got her to the nearest local hospital, six hours had passed. There was no doctor available that day so we had to drive there and back to a larger medical center. All together, it was a full day before she was finally in the operating room and getting the fracture pinned. Do you think this is going to affect the results?
  • What is a supracondylar humeral fracture and how serious is it? That's all we know about what happened to our eight-year-old niece who was involved in a car accident and is now in surgery for this problem.
  • What is a triple pelvic osteotomy? This is the operation our grandson is having on his hip for a bad case of Perthes disease. It sounds really long and involved. Isn't there something simple that can be done for this problem?
  • What makes slipped capital femoral epiphysis mild versus severe? We have a child with pain so bad, he has to use crutches to walk. Yet the doctor says it's a mild case. Can you explain this to me?
  • What makes slipped capital femoral epiphysis mild versus severe? We have a child with pain so bad, he has to use crutches to walk. Yet the doctor says it's a mild case. Can you explain this to me?
  • Everytime we take our son to the orthopedic clinic at Mayo, we hear the same story. He has slipped capital femoral epiphysis. It's likely he'll end up with hip arthritis and need a joint replacement. Yadda yadda yadda. What are his chances of this really happening?
  • We've been told that treating Perthes disease for some children with casting just isn't worth it. Surgery is really the recommended treatment. Why doesn't the less invasive cast method work any more?
  • Our five-year-old daughter broke her arm and when they took her out of the cast, she developed another problem called CRPS. We have taken her to three specialists, an acupuncturist, and even a hypnotist with no improvement. Is there anything else out there that might help?
  • We are at a cross-roads on a decision that involves our adult children and their child (our granddaughter). Missy has a terrible condition called complex regional pain syndrome. Her foot and ankle throb all day and all night. There's swelling so she can't get a shoe on. She doesn't want to go to school because of it. The doctor has recommended a nerve block. Her parents don't want to subject her to any more pain. We see it as a treatment that hasn't been tried yet -- what's to lose? What do you think?
  • When we were vacationing in Canada, I picked up some Tylenol 3 for our family (we live in the U.S.). Is it safe to use with children?
  • I heard that they are going to take codeine off the market for kids. Is that true? I've relied on cough syrups with codeine to get through more than one night with my children. What will we use instead?
  • Have you ever heard of a child getting a frog down inside a cast on the leg for a broken bone? I have to report that our five-year-old grandson managed to do this. When the cast was removed, the remains of the frog was evident. Evidently, he tucked it down inside where the cast came around his waist and there was enough room to shove something underneath. Fortunately nothing bad happened to him but I thought I'd mention this for your other readers to watch out for in children (or grandchildren).
  • Our three-year-old son fell and broke his little thigh bone. He's not very old but he's a big child (weighs almost 50 pounds). They say he'll be in a cast from hip-to-toe for at least four weeks. How in the world is my daughter going to manage this? He's not potty trained yet. I'm trying to find any information for her that I can before he goes home from the hospital tomorrow.
  • We have two sets of twins in our family and three sets of triplets. To add to our problems, four of the girls have scoliosis. Each time another child starts to curve, we take them to our orthopedic surgeon. She calls this condition adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. What in the world is causing this in our family? You might think genetics but none of my nieces or nephews have this condition.
  • Okay, we're just back from the pediatrician's office where we found out our nine-year-old daughter has a condition called adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. We are digging into the internet for any information we can find on this. She's only nine, so how can she have a teenager's disease?
  • When do you advise patients to have reconstructive surgery for chronically dislocating kneecaps?
  • I am really pissed (am I allowed to say that on-line?). The surgeon keeps saying I had a "successful" patellar realignment surgery because the knee no longer dislocates. But it still feels like it's going to pop off sometimes and I can't play sports at the level I want to because it does hurt and I never know if it's going to give out from underneath me. Does this happen to other people or is it just me?
  • Our 11-year-old daughter has adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). We've been given a prescription for a brace but told that 'it might not work'. We are willing to try anyway. What's the next step?
  • I know there has been some disagreement about bracing for scoliosis but I want to let your readers know it really worked for our daughter. She has the adolescent idiopathic kind of spinal curve. She was religious about wearing it everyday and only took it off to get dressed or take a shower. The results were worth the effort!
  • Why is it so hard to tell if a knee problem is Lyme disease versus some other type of arthritis? Our son has been tested and retested so many times, it's not funny and still they can't decide if it's Lyme disease or not. What is the deal?
  • We live in an area where tick bites often lead to Lyme disease. My eight-year-old twin girls are both complaining of knee pain after a long hike today. I don't see any swelling so I don't think it's Lyme disease. Should I have them tested?
  • Our son has osteochondritis of the knee (just one side). The surgeon who sees him is always ordering X-rays and MRIs to see how it's coming along. Does this really give enough information to warrant being exposed to repeated doses of radiation? He's only 14-years-old, so he has a lifetime ahead of possible exposure. We would like to limit that.
  • Our little miracle baby was born 10 weeks too soon. He gradually gained weight and could come home when he was three months old. Now at 10 months, we are discovering his hips aren't forming like they should. He has a problem called developmental dysplasia of the hips. They put him in a special harness but he developed a nerve palsy. How often does this happen and is it because he was premature?
  • Our baby was born with dyplasia of the hip (just on one side). They put a special harness on her and we have used it faithfully. But now she developed pressure on the nerve so they had to take it off. We will try again in a few days. What happens if the harness causes the same problem again?
  • Our three-year old grandson is in the ER right now for a badly swollen knee they think is some kind of infection. They are talking about draining the fluid right away. We hate to see him poked and prodded. Can't they just use antibiotics for something like this?
  • We live in a small town with only a rural clinic and 15-bed hospital to serve our needs. We love our nurse practioner and emergency physician. But our daughter has been hospitalized for a septic knee. So we are just checking to see if the treatment she is getting is standard or if we should consider moving her to the nearest large medical center (150 miles away).
  • We have a child with a hemivertebra at T12. We waited too long to have surgery to remove that bone while trying all kinds of nonoperative treatments (bracing, acupuncture, exercise, electrical stimulation). Now the surgeon proposes to do a simpler procedure of removing part of the deformed vertebra and fusing the spine. How is this "simpler" than just removing the entire deformed bone?
  • I'm 16-years-old and have a curved spine because of a deformed vertebral bone. My parents could never afford surgery to have the half-vertebra removed. Now I'm stuck in an ugly curve with a painful spine. When I leave home, the first thing I'm going to do is get help for this problem. What could be done for me?
  • We have a child with congenital scoliosis. We found a group on-line who do a new surgical technique for this that's supposed to be safer and simpler. It's called a pedicle subtraction osteotomy. Although these surgeons are in China, we would be willing to travel there if necessary. Do you know anything about this new procedure?
  • Can you give us a quick tutorial on treatment for congenital scoliosis and why bracing isn't really recommended?
  • After watching our two-year old waddle around and thinking it was cute, we finally realized at age four that there was something wrong. The pediatric orthopedic calls it an angular deformity of unknown cause. Is this something our son will outgrow?
  • Can you tell us about tension banding for a bow-legged deformity? Our eight-year-old has this condition on one side (her right leg). She's already had one surgery (osteotomy) to correct the problem. But it's gotten worse and now they are suggesting a second osteotomy. We found out about tension banding on the internet but want more information. What can you tell us?
  • Our nephew took a bad spill on his snowboard and broke his leg. We thought everything was fine but now they say surgery is needed because of a bar that has grown across his growth plate. What can you tell us about this condition and its treatment?
  • My 6th grade daughter is involved in a science project looking at how bones grow. I'd like to help her but I don't know much about the topic. Can you give me a quick tutorial on the growth plate? That's her area of focus. Nothing too technical, just the basics, please.
  • We live in Connecticut and are always on the watch for Lyme disease, which is very common in this area. Our three-year-old is having some knee problems and we are wondering what it might be. We haven't been out hiking in the woods, it's off-season for ticks, and blood tests are negative. What are the other possibilities?
  • The children on my father's side of the family seem to have a high risk of developing childhood arthritis. No one seems to know why. Once we start to have children, is there some way to tell early on if they are going to get this problem?
  • Right now our daughter is in the operating room having microsurgery to reattach her index finger. I won't even go into how this happened. It's just awful. What I want to know is how likely is it that this will work? The surgeon couldn't say much without getting in there and looking everything over first.
  • Can you give me some actual statistics on how often fingers accidentally cut off can be put back on successfully in children? I know that sounds gruesome but that's what we are up against with our son. No one seems willing to give us some hard core, black and white facts.
  • I've had two hip replacements and arthroscopic knee surgery to remove a torn meniscus, so I know all about arthroscopy. But I heard they are using this procedure in children and I was wondering why. What kinds of problems do the kids have that would require this kind of surgery?
  • It's amazing what doctors can do now. Our granddaughter is going to have a surgeon insert a long, thin needle with a tiny TV camera on the end into her hip. They will be able to look inside and see what's causing so much pain. Everyone seems so calm about it but I'm older and have seen what can go wrong with many things. What's the worst case scenario for this type of surgery?
  • We just came back from an appointment at the university hospital for our 18-month old son. He is starting to develop a curve in his spine that has us all worried. The doctors don't think there is anything like muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy causing this. But they don't really know. In the meantime, they want to start treating this with a body cast that will be changed as he grows. Is this how other places treat the problem?
  • What is early onset scoliosis and how is it treated? That's the problem we are facing with the newest member of our family -- a two-year-old niece (my sister's child).
  • How long does it take to correct a clubfoot deformity? One of our twin grandsons was born with this condition. We don't want to see him fall behind his brother in terms of development. What can we do to help?
  • Can you please explain how or why the Ponseti Method works for clubfoot? Our infant son is going through this treatment. But wouldn't he just outgrow this problem with corrective shoes?
  • Our 18-month-old son fell out of a wagon rolling down a small hill. He broke his elbow but the orthopedic surgeon was able to put it back together without surgery. The cast has been off for two months now, but he still seems to favor that arm and cries if we touch it. Sometimes he runs a low-temperature but it seems to come and go. What could be causing this?
  • What could cause septic arthritis in an active teenager? Our 13-year-old daughter did have a soccer injury to her ankle (broke her inside ankle bone). No surgery was needed -- just a cast. We thought it had healed up. But when it puffed up and started to hurt, we took her back in and that's what the surgeon said was wrong with her. It took two different antibiotics before they could get it turned around. No one seems to know how or why it happened.
  • With all the news on vitamin D these days, I thought I'd ask if it's something we should pay attention to in our children?
  • Our two-year old just had surgery to correct a hip problem. Now he is in a long cast from hip to toes. It occurred to me this morning that he isn't going to fit in his car seat when we take him home tomorrow. How do other families handle this situation?
  • I have a five-year-old at home in a spica cast. He had surgery to reshape the hip socket because he was born with a deformity called hip dyplasia. I'm hauling him around in the back seat of our SUV by buckling one seat belt around his chest and one around his legs. I got stopped for running a traffic violation and then got an additional ticket for not having him in "an approved child restraint" (that's what the ticket says). What the hell am I expected to do? He can't bend at the waist or knees. I have to work so I can't leave him home. I am soooo frustrated.
  • Two of our six boys have a problem called osteochondritis dissecans. One has it in the elbow, the other has it in the knee. We try to watch the Internet for any new information that might help us understand this problem and how to treat it. We saw there were some new guidelines but can't find the specifics. Can you help us?
  • When he was about 11 years-old, our son had a knee problem called osteochondritis dissecans (OCD). We treated it until he was 14 and everything seemed okay. Now he's getting ready to go to college. Is there anything new we should know (and tell him) about this problem before he leaves home?
  • Our grandson has a seizure disorder that require him to take anticonvulsant medications every day. Before the meds, he broke two bones during a seizure. The problem now is he just can't seem to swallow the pill. If we crush it up and put it in yogurt or applesauce, he says it tastes terrible and spits it out. Has anyone else run into this problem? Why can't they figure out a way to get meds into kids without so much trauma?
  • Our four-year-old child is scheduled for hip surgery to correct a problem from birth. He doesn't separate easily from us but even worse is that his mother (my partner) doesn't separate well from him. Are there ways the medical staff deal with this kind of problem? Should I try and alert them somehow ahead of time?
  • I heard there are some new studies that show bracing can work for large scoliosis curves. I'm interested because I'm 16-years-old and I've been wearing a brace for five years without much success. My curve started at 45-degrees and is slowly getting worse (I'm not at 57-degrees).
  • My son is 11-years-old and has a scoliosis that measures 60 degrees. The surgeons tell me the only treatment that will work is surgery to fuse the spine. We don't have insurance so that is out of the question. Isn't there some kind of cast or brace that he could wear? What about exercises? There must be something we can do.
  • I am leaving my three-year-old daughter with her grandparents while we are gone for 10-days. This isn't the first time the grans have taken care of her but never for this long. I am a little concerned about how to give them directions on giving her medications if she needs anything while we are gone. What do you suggest?
  • Many of the drugs available over-the-counter come with a cute little cup to use when taking the meds. I always give those cups to my little girls to use when they have a pretend tea party. But I saw a warning on-line that these devices are to be thrown away immediately after the medication has been used up. What's the harm in letting the girls play with these cups?
  • I've just taken a job at a children's hospital coordinating their scoliosis clinic. They use something called the Lenke classification system to assess children with idiopathic scoliosis and plan treatment. I'm trying to learn as much as possible without asking so many questions at work. What can you tell me about this system?
  • I'm hopelessly confused about my daughter's scoliosis. She has the adolescent idiopathic type. We just moved from California to the east coast. The surgeon in California was all set to do surgery to fuse the entire curve. The surgeon here says only the worst part of the curve needs to be fused. How is this decided?
  • My grandson is a fantastic soccer player. Suddenly he has developed heel pain they call Sever disease. What is Sever disease? Is this really supposed to be "severe" disease?
  • Our young son has developed heel pain the physician thinks is something called Sever disease or syndrome. I read the Patient Guide to Sever's Syndrome on your website. You say that X-rays aren't that helpful in diagnosing Sever's syndrome. The physician we are seeing is insisting on ordering X-rays. We would like to limit exposure to X-rays. Can we decline?
  • We have been fostering children in our home for the past 30 years. Many of our children come to us with medical problems. Our newest girl has scoliosis bad enough to consider surgery. When we had other children with this problem, it was years ago. We've been through surgery using those Harrington rods but I understand things have changed since then. What do they do now to correct severe curves?
  • I'm studying up on spinal surgery because my little adopted grandchild (8 years old) from Korea is about to have spinal surgery to fuse her spine. She came to us seemingly perfectly healthy but later developed scoliosis for no known reason. Now they are talking about putting screws through the bones to hold them in place. My concern is that the screws might cause further harm, damage, or even stunt her growth. What do they really know about this surgery?
  • I see a lot of grandparents write to you about their grandchildren's problems. Add me to the list. I hope you won't mind answering my question. Our grandson is developing bony bumps on his spine, hips, elbows, and wrists. They say this is called multiple hereditary exostoses. What is this, really?
  • Can a child have growing pains of the arm? I've only ever heard of growing pains in the leg but our daughter is complaining of arm pain. She can move the arm ok so that's the only possible explanation I can think of.
  • Our little Willie (five years old) has been complaining of leg pain off and on for two months. It's becoming more on than off lately. The pediatrician says it's probably not growing pains. What else could it be?
  • Our 12-year-old daughter is highly involved in sports. This summer she tore the meniscus of her right knee and had to have surgery to repair it. What's the prognosis for an injury like this? Should she continue to play sports? Will it plague her years from now if she does jump right back in?
  • Our eight-year-old son is admittedly overweight. When he fell playing soccer, he broke his wrist from the force of his body weight behind the fall. They say this type of fracture (scaphoid bone in the wrist) will take a long time to heal. Is that because of his size?
  • I'm looking for information on scaphoid wrist fractures in children. I'm finding terms I don't quite understand such as acute, chronic, high-energy, low-energy -- can you help me understand what these all mean?
  • We just got a call that our 6-year-old granddaughter fractured her upper arm. The X-ray showed a unicameral bone cysts as the cause of the break. We are frantically searching the Internet for any information we can find. What is it? How will they treat it? What will happen?
  • We just got the results back from our son's knee surgery. He had a surgery done called ACI in which they took some of his own knee cartilage and used it to fill a couple little holes in his knee joint. The report says the holes have filled in but not with normal tissue. Looks like mostly random fibers, not true cartilage. He's not having any pain so does it matter? And will it eventually turn into the real stuff?
  • I'm trying to find some information that could help my nephew. He's 15-years-old and a very active athlete. X-rays and MRIs have confirmed he has a hole in his knee cartilage. It's deep enough to go down to the first layer of bone. I had this same problem and the ortho-doc took some of my own cartilage, grew it in a lab, and put it in the hole. It healed over beautifully. Can they do this same treatment for kids? No one seems to be suggesting it.
  • Our seven-year-old grandson has a partially dislocated hip from cerebral palsy. The parents (our children) don't have insurance so we have been paying many of the medical bills. We just got a bill for X-rays and now heard today the surgeon wants an expensive CT scan, too. We don't want to withhold what Jason needs but we can't help but wonder if this is really a necessary test.
  • We have twin girls who eight years old now. One girl is perfectly fine but the other has spastic cerebral palsy (CP). The twin with CP had a dislocated hip that was surgically repaired last year and it has popped out again. The same surgeon wants to re-operate but we are wondering if we should see someone else. What do you advise?
  • We just came back from a long trip to the West Coast to take our eight-year-old daughter to a special arthritis clinic for kids. We thought she had arthritis but it turns out she has something else called venous malformation. The team there said it was rare and hard to detect but there were a few clues to help them out. They never did tell us how they could tell the difference. Without having her records, can you tell us why they were able to make the distinction?
  • Our 11-year-old granddaughter was misdiagnosed with knee arthritis when it was really a malformation of the veins. We are relieved she doesn't have the arthritis but peeved that it took so long for them to figure out what was wrong. Are we out of line to think the physicians screwed up?
  • I know our society has gone through major shifts in describing the differences between boys and girls. For awhile there it was like we were supposed to believe everyone was the same regardless of sex. But I work as a pediatric aid in a large hospital. And I can tell you that when it comes to pain in children, girls seem to have a much bigger reaction to pain. This seems true even if it doesn't hurt more than what boys would say. Can you explain this to me? Why the differences?
  • I overheard the nurse working with a child in the same room as our son at the hospital. She was asking the little girl if she felt helpless or scared. Doesn't this kind of questioning put ideas into kids' heads? What's the point of asking questions like these?
  • I am a doctoral physical therapy student considering conducting a study on Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease for my research. I started looking at X-rays of children at our regional pediatric center. But I noticed not all radiologists use the same classification method for this condition. Is there one system that is best that I should look for when choosing which patients to include (or exclude) from the study?
  • Our son is going to a large children's hospital for evaluation of a hip problem that has been diagnosed as Perthes disease. I'm on-line trying to understand the X-ray report we received from the first doctor that puts it as a Group A disease. The second radiologist called it Class I. What's the difference?
  • I am a 14-year-old boy with a hip problem. It's called Perthes and it was just discovered. The doctor I saw was honest with me and said it doesn't always have the best outcome in teens. I'm looking for any information you can give me to help me understand what that means.
  • Our family is facing a new problem. Both my husband and I are currently unemployed and without insurance. Our four-year-old son was just diagnosed with Perthes hip disease. We can't afford treatment for him. What are his chances for recovery without surgery?
  • I've always been told that my hip problem (Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease) is caused by a loss of blood to the hip. But now that I'm old enough to understand this, I'd like more specific details. Can you explain it so I can understand it better? I'm 12-years-old but I'm a straight A student, so you don't have to make it too simple.
  • We've been told to keep our child who has Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease off his feet as much as possible. This is supposed to help avoid further deformity of the hip. But is all weight-bearing bad? Is running worse than walking? He needs some exercise, doesn't he?
  • I've been researching a hip problem our six-year-old grandson has called Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. It looks like this is something that's been around for a long time. What can we expect for our grandson. Surely by now they have come up with a cure, haven't they?
  • I was looking back through our family geneology and photos and saw that 75 years ago, there was someone who had a hip problem called a Legg hip affliction. Any idea what this "affliction" might be in today's terms?
  • Our son has Perthes hip problems but no one seems to want to help us find a way to treat this problem. Isn't there some brace that works? What about surgery? Can't they perform some kind of operation to correct this?
  • Our grandson is five years old and was just diagnosed with Perthes hip disease. His father (our son) had the same problem at exactly the same age. He wore a special cast with a bar between the legs to hold them apart. Had that thing for over a year. But they aren't doing anything to treat our grandson. Says he doesn't need it. Is this right? Should we tell them to get a second opinion?
  • We just left the orthopedic surgeon's office after a meeting to talk about surgery for our daughter. She has Perthes hip disease. They are saying it will be necessary to dislocate her hip during surgery in order to correct the impingement problem she has. This sounds pretty drastic to us. What do you think?
  • Our daughter has had Perthes hip disease since she was six-years-old. Now at age 13, she is starting to get something called impingement. Can you help us understand what this is and why it's developing now?
  • I've heard the number of ATV accidents has risen dramatically. With all the new safety features of these toys, I'm wondering why? Is there any kind of recall going on for any of the newer models?
  • We went on vacation to Montana this summer with our three children ages 8, 11, and 15. There were lots of children riding around the mountains where we hiked who were riding ATVs. It seemed to me like they were reckless and driving a machine more powerful than they could handle. Now my children want ATVs for Christmas. Just saying they seemed reckless isn't much of a justification to tell my children "no." Can you help me out here with some sage advice?
  • I am a third-year medical student considering pediatric orthopedics as a speciality. Right now I have a case of a child with a diagnosis of neurofibromatosus. She's 12 years-old and had a stainless steel rod placed along her spine for severe scoliosis. She was recently admitted to the hospital with a fracture in the rod. For an assignment, I am supposed to find out how this kind of problem can be avoided. Do you have any studies you can recommend or information that might be helpful?
  • After debating the pros and cons for months about surgery for our son, we finally agreed to rods being placed in his spine for severe scoliosis. Six months later, the rod broke and we were worse off than before surgery. We knew there was a risk of this happening but why did it happen? That's what we want to know.
  • Our kindergarten-aged daughter went off to school the first day this year and promptly broke her arm. The surgeon calls it a Galeazzi fracture. She's in a long-arm cast now but we are wondering what the chances are she will end up with full motion when the cast comes off.
  • Our sweet granddaughter (who is only 8 years old) was in a car accident. Because she wasn't properly restrained in the back seat of the van (she is too little for the shoulder harness), the force of the impact fractured her spine. She has what's called a Chance fracture. Right now she's paralyzed from the waist down. They say this might resolve but they are being very low key about making any predictions. What are her chances for recovery?
  • We are on pins and needles waiting to hear from the neurosurgeon about our son. He was in a van being transported by his day care when they had an accident. He had a seat belt (lap type) fastened but he wasn't in a car seat and he didn't have a shoulder strap in place. They are doing surgery to fuse his spine because of a "Chance" fracture (that's what they called it). How serious is this?
  • We took our kids to the northeast to see the fall colors this year. We knew Lyme disease is a problem there but we thought by now the ticks would be all dead. No such luck. Both our kids were bitten but only one developed any symptoms. They both tested positive on the special Lyme blood test. Now they are going through all the diagnostic tests. Should we ask for an MRI? Would that be helpful?
  • We live in Connecticut where some of the highest rates of Lyme disease exist and yet when our eight-year-old started complaining of hip pain, no one thought to check for that. We asked if it could be Lyme disease but everyone said "no" because it was the hip and not the knee. It was finally correctly diagnosed but not before a lot of pain on our daughter's part and angst on ours. I hope this might help other parents in the northeast be more proactive if their child has hip pain.
  • Both of my teenage girls and one of my sister's teenage daughters constantly complain of pain. If it's not a headache, it's a stomach ache. Some days it's the legs, then it's the shoulders. My sister doesn't remember being in pain during her teens years. And I certainly don't either. Is this all part of growing up or some weird family thing?
  • What is idiopathic pain? And when does it become chronic? These are two terms that have been used to describe my migraine headaches.
  • With the way Chinese parents are pushing their children to excell academically, are they suffering greater rates of obesity and other problems from inactivity?
  • I've heard that girls are more likely to have back pain these days than boys. Is this true? I have three girls and so far no one has complained of back pain. What should I watch for?
  • We just went through a bout of low back pain caused by a herniated disc in our 13-year-old daughter. The specialist who diagnosed her said that disc problems are rare in children. He said that the most common age group affected are girls under the age of 16. Why is that?
  • Our youngest child was just diagnosed with an L45 disc protrusion. We have never had anything like this in our family. What can you tell us about the causes and most likely treatment? We go back tomorrow for the plan of care, which I'm pretty sure is going to involve antiinflammatory drugs and physical therapy.
  • Our 12-year-old daughter started taking advanced figure ice skating classes this winter. Everyone thought she was ready but she ended up with a torn ACL. The knee doesn't seem to be rehabbing like they hoped. The question now is should she have surgery before she is fully grown. What do your experts say about this?
  • Our 14-year-old son tore his ACL playing soccer. He was told by the surgeon not to run, jump, or do any pivoting activities. Our son swears he has not played soccer, basketball, or any other activities he wasn't supposed to. Even so, he still reinjured his knee and now has a meniscus tear to add to the damages. We're not sure if we should ground him or accept him at his word. What would you advise?
  • We need a quick answer please! Our 11-year-old daughter broke her arm way up by the shoulder. I guess it's pretty bad. The surgeon wants to use some kind of curved titanium "nail" to hold the pieces together instead of putting her in a cast. We've been told this is safe but it's a relatively new method. Are there any downsides to this treatment? Should we say yes? We have about 20 minutes to decide.
  • Our neighbor's son was goofing around and fell out of a second story window at our house. Broke his arm at the top. They tell us the break went through the growth plate. What is the significance of that? Will it stunt his growth?
  • Okay I just came back from the Children's Hospital where our son goes for check-ups on his hip. He has slipped capital femoral epiphysis. I overheard two other parents talking about their children getting a positive test from Dr. Drehmann. There's no Dr. Drehmann at that hospital so I Googled his name. Turns out he's been dead awhile. What in the world are they talking about?
  • I have a child with slipped capital femoral epiphysis. I confess I've taken to searching the web for anything I can find about this condition. I saw a report out of Japan that there is a test called Dreymann's that we can do as parents to check for problems after surgery. What can you tell me about this?
  • My six-year-old daughter is experiencing stomach pain that I think is the result of the split up between her father and me. I'd kinda like to know if there is any proof that I'm wrong about this and something else is the cause of her discomfort. Maybe knowing that kids in nondivorced families have just as much stomach pain would help. Is there anything like that out there?
  • What can you tell me about headaches in younger children? We have a nine-year-old daughter who hasn't started her menses yet but has monthly (sometimes weekly) headaches. Is this normal?
  • What's the best way to surgically fix a chronically dislocating knee cap in someone (me) who is only 13-years-old.
  • I have a knee cap that keeps flipping out to the side. My parents want me to wait until I'm an adult to have any surgery so my growth won't be stunted. My coach doesn't say as much but I think he wants me to get it fixed. What should I do?
  • We are at a cross roads with our daughter and need some help. When she was a baby, she had surgery to correct hip dysplasia. Now she is seven years old, still pre-menstrual, and the hip is on the edge of remaining in what the surgeon calls "normal" position. The decision now is whether or not to wait-and-see if the hip will correct itself (and take a chance that it won't) or have a second surgery to correct the problem sooner than later. What would you advise?
  • We have an eight-year-old child who had surgery as a baby for hip dislocation because of hip dysplasia. The surgeon who has been following him retired this year. Now we have a young kid taking over the case who wants to do a second surgery. He says the hip is starting to redislocate and it's time to make some corrections before it's too late. Should we shop around and find someone with a bit more experience to give us a second opinion?
  • We have adopted a young girl (eight years old) from a refuge camp in Afghanistan. She has severely deformed feet from clubfoot that wasn't treated. We do have an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon next week but I'm searching the Internet for any ideas of what can be done for her.
  • Have you ever heard of a contraption called a Taylor frame? It's used to treat severely deformed club feet. Our adult children are Peace Corps workers coming back to the U.S. with an 11-year-old child who is in these contraptions. We just wanted to be prepared to meet this child by knowing a little more about him before our first face-to-face contact.
  • We are more than a little concerned about our daughter. She's eight years old and has a cast on her arm because she broke both bones in her forearm. The problem is it's been six weeks and the X-ray doesn't show enough healing at the break. Why not and what can we do about it?
  • My 12-year-old grandson has a knee problem called OCD. The orthopedic surgeon who is seeing him is recommending MRIs before doing surgery. The family does not have insurance so I am helping out financially. We are trying to cut costs wherever possible. MRIs are pretty pricey. Can we get along without them?
  • Our 13-year-old son has a back problem called spondylolisthesis. He seems to be in a slump over this. The surgeon who is following him thinks our son may be depressed because of the way this problem is affecting his quality of life. His solution is to take more X-rays. How is that going to help anything?
  • We just came back from a special clinic for children with back problems. Our daughter has a condition called lumbosacral adolescent spondylolisthesis which is getting worse over time. The team of specialists are considering surgery for her. They went over all the X-rays with this angle and that angle. I'm afraid it all went by me too fast. Without seeing her X-rays can you help me understand this "sacral kyphosis" they are so worried about?
  • I need some quick information. We are at the point of deciding whether or not surgery should be done for our 10-year-old. He fell while dinking around with some friends and broke his forearm. The surgeon says he hasn't completed full bone growth so there's a chance he could heal okay without surgery. I would opt for that but my wife wants him to have the surgery for cosmetic reasons (she's afraid he'll end up with a crooked arm). What do you advise?
  • I don't suppose asking you this now is going to make a difference but I still want to know. Our daughter who is 14 now and interested in playing tennis on her high school team has discovered she can't fully turn her palm up. That could keep her from the tennis team. She did break that arm when she was eight but has never had any problems until now. Could this be coming from the old fracture? Is there anything that can be done?
  • Our young son is in surgery. I have nothing to do but worry. Can you please help me understand something? He was involved in a car accident and may have a spinal cord injury. There's also some indication of internal bleeding from a fracture of the pelvis. I understand how the spinal cord can get pressed on or cut if the spinal bone breaks. How does having a pelvic fracture cause bleeding?
  • Our 12-year-old daughter was thrown from her horse and then stepped on by the horse. She has a Torode IV pelvic fracture. We saw the X-rays so have an idea of what it looks like (very nasty). What does the Torode IV mean?
  • Our 12-year-old had a hip pinning procedure for a condition called SCFE. It had to be done so there are no regrets. But I've been doing some looking on-line and see there are quite a few children who have this surgery who end up having another operation. What do they have and why?
  • Our grandson lives in Minnesota and has the opportunity to get medical care at the Mayo Clinic for his hip. He has a condition called slipping epiphysis. They are recommending pinning the hip to keep it from getting worse. What do you think of this? Is it the right treatment?
  • I work at a center for women and children who are victims of domestic abuse. Yesterday a little girl came in with her mother who had a bite mark on her hand. It was red and ugly so they sent her to the emergency room. Turns out she has MRSA. I thought that was something you got from being in the hospital. How did this little girl get it?
  • I'm the director of a hospital-based emergency clinic. Recently, we've had a bunch of children come through with skin infections that turned out to be community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA). Our docs have asked me to research best practice recommendations for this problem. I am checking several other sources. What do you suggest?
  • What is the cause of trigger finger in young children? Our daughter didn't have this condition when she was born but now at age nine months, it has come on suddenly.
  • What happens in children who have a trigger thumb? Will it go away on its own? In other words, will our son outgrow this condition?
  • We have a grandson who was recently diagnosed with Perthes disease as a cause of his chronic hip pain. We are learning more about this problem and would like to understand this idea of "hip modeling" that is the basis for his treatment. What can you tell us?
  • Is there anything new in the way of treatment for Perthes disease? This problem has been around for 100 years. Haven't they come up with a new drug or better way to treat this than the awful surgery our son had 10 years ago? Looks like it didn't work for him so we are back looking for answers.
  • We are a little concerned but not sure what to say or do. Our little granddaughter has been up and walking for a year now. She's two and a half years old and still walking up on her tip toes. Is this normal? Should we say something about getting it checked out? We try not to interfere but it seems too odd to ignore.
  • We are in the waiting room of an orthopedic surgeon who is going to look at our son for a walking problem. They are an hour behind schedule so I thought I'd cruise the Web and look for information. The basic problem is that he is four years old and still walking up on his toes. He can walk flat footed if we ask him to but most of the time, he's always up tip-toeing around. What can they do about this kind of problem?
  • What is a pedicled bone graft? Our 12 year-old son is going to need a bone graft for a bad fracture that just never healed. Now they say it's a nonunion -- there's a big gap between the two ends of the fractured bone. A pedicled bone graft has been recommended. They are going to take the bone from the smaller bone in the lower leg. So back to the original question: what is that exactly?
  • We are looking for any help from anywhere for our daughter. She has a large bone tumor that has to be removed. This will shorten her leg considerably and possibly cause other problems later. Our surgeon is consulting with her colleagues about this but we are doing an intensive search on-line as well. Do you know of anything that could help in a case like this?
  • How can you tell what's the best treatment for OCD of the elbow? We are researching this on the web and looking for any information we can find.
  • Our 11-year-old son was diagnosed with Little League elbow (although he got the problem from doing gymnastics). We are approaching six months of therapy and rest from activity with very little change in symptoms. The surgeon is suggesting an MRI to see where we are at but the insurance company doesn't want to pay for it. What should we do?
  • I am trying to decide between two surgical procedures offered to me. Both are to correct a deformity I was evidently born with but didn't know about until now. There are two bones in the ankle that are connected by a piece of bone. They never were separate so all this time my ankle pain and funny way of walking were caused by this problem. The two choices are an ankle fusion or to cut out that extra piece of bone. The pros and cons of both procedures have been explained to me. How do I decide?
  • Years ago I was told I have a bridge of bone between two of my ankle bones (I forget which two). I didn't do anything about it back then but it's really starting to bother me now. Is it too late for surgery? If they did surgery, what would they do? And how long would I be laid up?
  • We have kind of a weird family situation. One grandchild has a hip problem called Perthes disease. The other one has developmental hip dysplasia (kids are from two different families). They are both having surgery to fix the problem but I heard that the Perthes disease is the harder problem to fix. Is this true?
  • We have agreed to let our child have surgery for Perthes hip disease. It has been explained to us by the surgeon that this is the only way the hip can recover fully. But my concern is if the problem is caused by a loss of blood to the hip, doesn't surgery put the hip at even more risk if something goes wrong? The surgeon said complications include nerve damage, nicking a blood vessel, infection, and a bunch of other things.
  • After months and months in casts and braces for a clubfoot deformity, our pretty baby went off to kindergarten looking healthy and whole. Now a year later, I think that foot is slipping back into its old clubfoot position. Is that possible?
  • We are headed back to the Shriner's Hospital with our four-year-old son. He had a clubfoot at birth that was treated and seemed to be fine. But he'll be going to kindergarten next year and his pediatrician noticed the foot is starting to collapse. What can they do for this now?
  • Our little grandson is being evaluated for a hip problem that no one can seem to figure out. Part of the problem (as we were told) is that no one really knows what 'normal' hip motion is -- so he's on the edge between what seems like 'normal' and 'abnormal'. Does that seem right to you?
  • Whenever we take our son into see the physical therapist, she always uses a funny looking metal device to measure his leg motion. I can't remember what the thing is called but it just seems to me like it would be very easy to get a different measurement every time just based on where you place the tool and how far you move the kid or the device. Am I wrong about this? I don't want to criticize but it just doesn't seem like a very accurate way to measure a moving target.
  • We are the parents of a 15-year-old boy who started having foot pain last year when he started running with a friend. Turns out he has one bone instead of the usual three bones in his right foot. The treatment choices have been explained to us. What are his chances for recovery without surgery?
  • What is a tarsal coalition? I know it's in the foot but I don't know what it is exactly.
  • As new parents of a child with clubfeet, we are trying to find as much information as we can about the success of treatment. Can you tell us what would assure the best results possible?
  • Can you believe this? The doctor who is treating my nephew for clubfoot wants to cut into his leg and cut the Achilles tendon without any anesthesia. I'm telling my sister to find a different doctor but thought I'd check with you to see what you think.
  • Which is better for a collar bone fracture: figure-8 brace or arm sling?
  • Our godchild is in the emergency room being evaluated for a collar bone fracture. It sounds like it's a toss up between a sling or surgery. How can two such different treatments both be okay?
  • My 12-year-old grandson is having surgery for a broken arm. Guess he managed to snap both bones in the forearm in half. My son (his father) said the decision to do surgery was a long time in coming with several orthopedic surgeons consulting. I'm in another state and can't be there. Don't feel like I can ask too many questions when they are already so stressed. What can you tell me about this problem? Why so much hemming and hawing?
  • We just got a call from the soccer camp where our 8 year-old twin girls are this week. One of the girls managed to fall out of the top bunk and broke the middle section of both bones in her arm. We are too far away to get there before they treat her. They want us to fax our signatures in case surgery is required. How is it decided whether or not surgery is needed?
  • We are in the emergency department at our local hospital. I need some advice quick. The surgeons are consulting to see if our 14-year-old son needs surgery for something they are calling "compartment syndrome." He's already in a cast for a broken leg. But his toes went numb and the leg kept giving out from under him. Of course, it's the weekend and his orthopedic surgeon isn't on call. Guide me through how this decision will be made so I know if we are on the right track.
  • While we were on vacation, my 11-year-old stepdaughter fell and broke her leg. The surgeon who saw her put a cast on the leg but told us to get to a hospital right away if there are any signs of problems. Now we are on the road heading home and she's complaining "it hurts, it hurts" I don't know what to do. Stop or press one? We are still six to eight hours away from home.
  • Is it really possible for a child with a radial neck fracture to heal spontaneously? How does this happen?
  • I'm looking for any information I can find on the care and feeding of radial neck fractures in children. My own three year old fell out of the shopping cart and has a displaced and rotated radial neck fracture. How is this usually treated?
  • Our six-year-old is in surgery to fix a broken finger. Seems like when I was a kid, they would have just slapped a finger splint on there and called it good. Is surgery done today when it could really be treated without surgery? It's hard to know how to tell these things.
  • Can you please explain what a Seymour's fracture of the finger is?
  • What is a Jacob elbow fracture? That's what our son has. He's in surgery now. Just surfing the web for information. Bored. Worried. Frantic!
  • My granddaughter fell down the stairs and broke her elbow. They said it was a nondiplaced lateral condylar fracture (I wrote it down so I could ask you about it). They put her in a cast. Now what happens?
  • Our 10-year-old boy broke his ankle while out skateboarding. I knew it was only a matter of time before something happened. He's an accident waiting to happen. Now he's in a cast but everyday he tells me his big toe feels numb and he can no longer wiggle it like they showed him to do at the hospital. What could be causing this?
  • What is a Tillaux fracture? I know it's in the ankle and surgery is required but can you give me a little description as well? As you can probably guess, we have a young family member with this problem.
  • What is a triplane fracture of the ankle? My brother just texted me that this is what his son (my nephew) has that requires an operation. I'm going to notify my church prayer chain but thought I would get some details first.
  • Do you think it's the right thing to do surgery after casting a leg for four weeks? Our nine-year-old son got tackled from the left while playing football. They weren't sure if he had a fracture of the growth plate so they put him in a cast. Four weeks later, now they say he has a problem that requires surgery. I'm like 'whoa' -- first there's almost nothing there, now we need surgery?
  • Do you think it's reasonable to X-ray a child's knee every week for a month or more to monitor a fracture of the growth plate near the knee? We are very concerned about exposure to the X-rays.
  • Would you help us compare all the advantages and disadvantages of surgery versus a cast from waist to foot for a fracture of the thigh? We are scheduled for a conference with a group of surgeons to discuss this for our 9-year-old daughter and we don't have a clue what to think.
  • Our 13-year-old son fell while playing in a soccer tournament and busted up his thigh. He had to have surgery and two long, thin rods put down the inside of the bone. Now that we are four weeks into it, it occurred to me to ask what his chances are for a full recovery. Will he be able to walk without a limp? Play soccer at his usual full-speed-ahead approach?
  • Thank goodness for smart phones! I could make a commercial with all the ways this thing has helped me. And now I'm checking with you about surgery for a medial epicondyle fracture that is "displaced." I wrote down what the surgeon told us so I could ask you right away what will be done and what to expect. The patient is a child (my stepson) who is 12.
  • I need a quick tutorial on elbow fractures of the part of the elbow next to the body. My nephew is here visiting us for the summer and that's what the emergency room doctor told us he's got. First day here and wouldn't you know? He'll be in a cast evidently. I'll have to explain all this to his mother (my sister). Help!
  • What do you think about the practice of swaddling babies? I work in a NICU and we have fierce and long debates about this among ourselves and with the docs. We are pretty much evenly split between those who think it's a good idea and those who don't.
  • Our god child was just diagnosed with hip dysplasia but only in the left hip. They told us at the clinic where he as examined that the left side is affected most often when this problem occurs. Can you tell us why that is?
  • I can't seem to get a straight answer about my son's knee problem. He has osteochondritis dissecans. We've taken him to three different "experts." They all say the same thing: there isn't enough 'evidence' to say for sure this way or that way is the best treatment. As a parent, I find that extremely frustrating. I need some answers. What can you tell me?
  • Our 16-year-old son went through all the treatment for osteochondritis dissecans of the knee and still has too much pain to my way of thinking. The surgeon wants to do another series of X-rays and MRIs to see what's going on. It feels like we are starting from scratch. Will this really help?
  • My uncle just had his foot amputated from a condition he has had all his life called "clubfoot." I am pregnant with my first child and thinking of all the family possibilities of things that can go wrong. Clubfoot is one of them. Is this hereditary and do they cut the foot off right away so the child doesn't have to suffer like my uncle did his entire life?
  • My wife gave birth to our first child last night. I'm exhausted and I'm sure she is but we need some information right away. The baby is perfect but he does have a foot deformity on both sides they are calling "clubfoot." What is the treatment for this problem and how soon should be take him to see a specialist?
  • I don't think children have any business riding solo on ATVs. I'm not sure they should even be riding with someone else. I just see this as an accident looking for a place to happen. Am I being an alarmist here or is this really something to be concerned about?
  • Our grandchildren have just been given an ATV for their birthday (to share). I can't begin to tell you how concerned I am about a big machine like that for these two little girls. They are 12 and 13 years old. What can I say to their parents to stress the potential harm this "gift" could do?
  • Why can't children with a broken femur be put in a single leg cast? Why is this bulky, heavy double-leg cast necessary?
  • Our son is being evaluated in the ER for a broken leg -- snapped the middle of the thigh bone in two. He's in kindergarten half-days. Will this keep him from going to school? We both work and don't have time off for an extended period of time. I'm pretty worried about how we are going to manage.
  • Our 14-year-old granddaughter has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Her left hip is frozen now so they are talking about doing a hip replacement. What should we know about this? We are trying to gather as much information as possible.
  • Can you tell me the difference between stable and unstable SCFE? My sister's son has had this condition for a few years and they just told me it went from stable to unstable. What does that mean (literally) and what will it mean for my nephew (the boy with the problem)?
  • My daughter and son-in-law are Americans but they live in Europe. Their son (my grandson, obviously) is having surgery for a hip problem called slipped capital. It sounds gruesome. They are going to dislocate the hip in order to put it back together again. Is this the way it would be done in the U.S.? Maybe they should come home for this surgery. What do you recommend?
  • Our middle-school soccer team has had a bunch of knee injuries. The coach asked two of us science nerds if we would find out more about some of the knee problems kids are getting from sports injuries. We are going to give a talk on it next week. Do you have any information that might help us with what's the latest these days?
  • Our 16-year-old son tore his ACL along with his knee meniscus playing soccer. We've heard an awful lot about how these kind of injuries don't heal for some adults. What about kids? Does he stand a better chance because of his age?
  • Our 11-year-old boy is a bit on the chubby side so we signed him up for junior football. Wouldn't you know it, he tore his ACL on the first day of practice? Are fat kids more likely to get injured than skinny dudes? I thought he would be protected by all that weight. Now I'm feeling guilty. Help me out here.
  • I am 12 years old and in love with horses. Someday I'm going to own a horse farm. Right now I have two horses I take care of for someone else. They let me ride them anytime I want. The question I have is about my knee. I tore my ACL in gymnastics. I've been told to stay off it until they decide whether or not I should have surgery. Can I still ride during this time? And how will they know if I need surgery?
  • I just finished reading a handout given to us by the surgery center where our 12-year-old daughter is going to have spine surgery for her scoliosis. My head is spinning. How are we supposed to know what kind of anesthesia and medications for pain she needs? Here's a list of all the things they say there are to choose from: nonopioid analgesia, opioid analgesia, local anesthetic injection, regional anesthesia, epidural therapy, peripheral nerve blocks, and much more. Please help!
  • I am sending this to you from the children's hospital where our three year old just had hip surgery. The nurses keep pushing drugs into this kid to "keep him comfortable" -- is it really a good idea to put young children on narcotics like this? How do they even know he's having any pain when he's so drugged up? I'm really concerned.
  • My four-year-old grandson has to use crutches now to keep weight off his right hip because he has something called Perthes disease. So far he has enjoyed the attention and the novelty of using crutches. But I predict this won't last. How long will he have to use crutches to get the desired healing effect?
  • Our six-year-old son is VERY active in all kinds of sports already. But we just found out he has Perthes hip disease. Now he is supposed to stay off that leg for as long as it takes to heal. Is this really necessary? Isn't it more important these days to stay active?
  • We are adopting a child from another country who has some hip problems. She started out with a hip infection that wasn't treated. Then the hip dislocated. They said because she was "too old" (three years old) at the time, they couldn't do surgery. We will definitely have her checked by our pediatrician and an orthopedic surgeon. What should we expect?
  • My seven-year-old niece had a hip infection that went undiagnosed and untreated until it dislocated. She recently came to live with us. The surgeons here are saying she's not an "ideal" candidate for surgery. What does that mean exactly?
  • I've heard that multiple sclerosis is more likely to occur in people raised in the northern areas of the globe. They said on television that they think the same is true for Perthes disease (which is what I have). In fact, they said the lowest rate of Perthes is at the equator. Any idea why that would be?
  • When surgery is recommended for Perthes disease, how does the surgeon decide what to do and when to do it?
  • Can you please explain "islands of ossification in the posterior acetabulum" to me? I'm reading the MRI report on my 10-year-old son's hip. He has been complaining of pain for months and we finally decided it wasn't just "growing pains." Now I see he has islands of ossification. Could that be causing the pain?
  • If you can believe this, our seven-year-old daughter actually dislocated her hip playing softball (she slid into someone standing at home plate). The X-ray department took an X-ray but the radiologist refused to do an MRI (as suggested by another person evaluating our daughter). The radiologist said there's nothing there but cartilage and it wasn't "medically necessary." Is that true?
  • I just saw on Facebook that my neighbor's son is in surgery for a cut nerve in the forearm. He is a super basketball player and extraordinary musician. Will this put an end to all that? I want to be as supportive as possible and not ask too many questions like this so I thought you might be able to help fill in the gaps for me.
  • What is loco-nosia? I heard this term on ESPN sports radio but didn't catch the whole story. Evidently some basketball player cut two nerves in his forearm. There is some concern that he won't get all his feeling back and this loco-stuff could affect his ball handling skills. Just wondering what it is...
  • Our 23-month old son is having surgery on his little clubfeet because casting and splinting didn't work. The surgeon is thinking that only one surgery will be needed but of course, no one knows for sure. What are the reasons why a child with this problem might need a second surgery? I'm not really sure how this works.
  • Our daughter had surgery at age 18 months to correct a clubfoot that didn't get better with casting. She's now 11-years-old and wants to try out for the local girls' soccer team. Should we try to discourage her and shield her from possible failure? Or let her try out and see what happens? I'm just not sure the leg is strong enough or that the surgery will hold up.
  • Do you think it's true that people of color are more likely to die from spinal fusion surgery for scoliosis compared with whites? I know this sounds like a weird question but our adopted child (who happens to be Hispanic) is scheduled for this kind of surgery. We are looking for any information we can find on the Internet about this surgery and found this stuff about deaths. Now I'm having second thoughts.
  • I live in California and teach in a local high school. My partner teaches in a private school. Sometimes we compare notes about equalities and inequalities we think we see. One of those is health care. I never see anyone in my classes wearing a brace for scoliosis and certainly never having surgery for this problem. My partner reports this is much more likely in the private sector. The reason I ask is because my daughter has scoliosis, too so this problem has caught my eye. What do you know about this kind of difference in treatment?
  • Our 13-year-old daughter has scoliosis they call "idiopathic" because we don't know what caused it. She never complains of pain but she is very self-conscious about her appearance. Is this ever a reason to have surgery to straighten her spine if there isn't any pain?
  • We took our 11-year-old daughter to a special spine clinic to have her scoliosis evaluated. They gave her a special questionnaire called an SRS. What is this and what does it measure? Does everyone take this test or only certain ones with scoliosis?
  • Can you give me a quick run-down on best practice for osteomyelitis in a nine-year-old girl? I'm not a medical person but I am a CEO of a large company and want to help my family navigate her care so it goes smoothly with the best possible results.
  • I am a frustrated parent of a six-year-old child who is currently in the hospital for a bone infection. It seems like there are too many cooks in the kitchen. The pediatrician, the orthopedic surgeon, and the nurses all seem to have different opinions about how to handle this case. How in the world does a parent navigate this kind of situation? I'm at my wit's end.
  • Do you think it is okay for a child with a broken ankle to have to wait a week or more before having surgery to fix it? I don't understand why the doctors are dilly dallying when the X-ray clearly shows the bone is broken. Can you please explain this to me?
  • Can you please describe or explain to me what is a Tillaux ankle fracture? Our 14-year-old daughter who is a budding gymnast just had a crash landing and this was the result. What does it mean for her?
  • When I was a teenager, I had scoliosis and took it upon myself to learn as much as I could about the condition. At that time, the surgeon always showed me the X-rays and explained the measurements and angles used to determine severity. Now my daughter is being evaluated for scoliosis. But instead of the Cobb angles we used to use, they showed us "centroid" angles. What happened to the old Cobb method?
  • Arm wrestling. This is the newest, latest craze among the teenagers in our area (including my two teen boys). I'm hearing a lot about elbow fractures on the inside of the elbow for the winners! Evidently, slam dunking the opponents arm down can put enough pressure on the funny bone of the winner to actually break it off. What else can you tell me about this kind of injury? How is it treated?
  • Our little granddaughter (only nine years old) is quite a budding gymnast. But this week, she fell and broke her funny bone, which, as it turns out, is not so funny! They put her in a cast and didn't have to operate so we're thinking that's a good sign. But I'm wondering if there's a downside to all this. Will she, in fact, recover fully?
  • Just came back from the surgeon's office where our 14-year-old daughter was examined for a patellar dislocation (three times now!) and MPFL rupture (MRI results).The surgeon made certain we knew what all the possible complications might be from the surgery (reconstruction of the ligament using her hamstring tendon). One of the biggies was "patellar fracture." What would cause the knee cap to break during surgery and how likely is that?
  • What went wrong? My grandson had surgery about six months ago for a chronically dislocating knee cap. They kept the same knee cap but took a piece of his hamstring tendon to replace the ligament that usually holds the knee cap in place. Everything seemed to go well and then the knee cap popped off again. We are wondering what went wrong? Can they get this problem fixed?
  • What can you tell us about Madelung deformity in children? We have a boy (age 12) who has just been diagnosed with this problem. Evidently, it is rare and even moreso in boys. We've just started our search on-line for information and hope you can help us.
  • Our nine-year-old son was injured playing baseball, which turned out to be a good thing because when they X-rayed his arm for fractures, they found a tumor the size of a golf ball. They think it is a lipoma (fat tumor). We had no idea. He hasn't had any pain and there's nothing on the outside more than a slight bump to suggest a problem. We are waiting to see the orthopedic surgeon about this. What can you tell us while we wait?
  • My 15-year-old daughter may have a malignant tumor in the muscles of her leg. The clinic where I took her wants to do a whole body MRI. I'm concerned about several things. First, does she really need such a thing? And second, she's just 15 and still developing. Will this cause harm or even keep her from having children later on?
  • When I look in the mirror, I notice there is a "bump" on my collar bone. It is just on the left side even though I am right handed. I don't remember ever injurying that side. What could be causing this?
  • Yes or no? Is surgery needed for a clear break (and separation) of the collar-bone in a 13-year-old boy? He's eager to get back to skate boarding and BMX racing. Surgery would really hold him back. What do you think?
  • My wife is Japanese but married to me (an American) and we live in the U.S. She arranged for a sabbatical year in Japan at her job and we (myself and two children) went with her. While we were there, it was discovered that our 10-year-old daughter has a form of scoliosis they call "idiopathic". The Japanese doctors there seemed really on top of the treatment of this condition. Now that we are back in the U.S., I can't help but wonder if our doctor here knows as much as the Spine Group in Japan. How can I determine whether she is getting the same kind of care here as she got in Japan?
  • Is there any difference in the way scoliosis is treated based on age? Why I am wondering is because our five-year-old granddaughter has been diagnosed with this problem out of the blue. They say it's pretty severe and she may even need surgery. But my neighbor has a granddaughter who is slightly older and they haven't said anything about surgery yet. Is it better to do the surgery while they are younger and fix the problem. Or should we adopt more of a wait-and-see approach? After all, she could outgrow this, right?
  • What do you think is the best way to treat a spinal cord injury in a youung child (five years old): body cast and then bracing or surgery straightaway? We've already made the choice but I'm curious to know what you would have recommended.
  • How is it possible that kids (even babies) can end up with a spinal cord injury? I thought this age group was pretty flexible, more like rubber and not quite rigid yet like adults.
  • Our "baby" (two years, three months old) has a leg problem called Blount disease. We are trying braces but if this doesn't work, what happens then?
  • My 10-year-old was perfectly fine until about two months when I noticed he was walking funny and he started complaining that his right knee hurt. He's been diagnosed with Blount's disease. The pediatrician thinks it's because he gained a lot of weight and is about 80 pounds overweight. If he loses weight will this problem go away?
  • What is the current recommendation for rotator cuff tears in children? Leave them alone and see if they can heal on their own? Or do surgery to repair the damaged structures?
  • I'm a little worried about the upcoming arthroscopic surgery our 11-year-old is going to have for a shoulder injury that causes his shoulder to pop in and out of joint. Any surgery would worry me but poking tubes into the shoulder of a growing child just gives me the willies. How safe is this procedure anyway?
  • What do they mean when they tell us "less aggressive" care is best for an arm fracture in children? Our son ended up in the emergency department over the weekend for a broken arm that was treated less aggressively (according to the physician's assistant we talked with). They put the forearm in a cast on the basis of a single X-ray. Then we started hearing our friends tell horror stories of other children who got a cast but really needed surgery. Did we miss something important here for our child?
  • We need some help as soon as possible. Our eight-year-old daughter has a broken arm (forearm to be exact). The on-call surgeon at the hospital recommended surgery but our pediatrician took a look at the X-rays and said a cast would be enough. If surgery is needed, it can be delayed without additional problems. We love and trust our pediatrician but the orthopedic specialist's idea of surgery rings in our ears. Is the expert always right? Ack! I hate making decisions like this when it involves the kids!
  • Before agreeing to spinal fusion surgery for our eight-year-old son, I want full disclosure of all possible problems during and after the procedure. I have a list of things that can happen (provided by the surgeon's office). Some of them are pretty scary like stroke and death. They said they would use the kind of screws (pedicle) that have lower risks and "superior" results. This does not make me feel any better. How often do these kinds of things really happen?
  • Our three-year-old granddaughter is going to have spinal fusion for a severe, severe scoliosis. She is developmentally disabled with a rare chromosomal abnormality. The surgeon showed us the screws they will use to hold the spine in place. She called them peddle screws and mentioned they are considered "off-label" but still safe. When I looked on-line about what off-label means, I got a little nervous about this for our girl. Are these things really safe?
  • I am a sports enthusiast -- not just watching on TV but playing every sport that comes along. The problem is I've developed a hole in my right knee cartilage that is going to require surgery. The surgeon is going to plug the hole with a new collage treatment they are using in other countries. I'm going to ask at my next appointment about how soon I can be active again. But I thought I'd check on-line and see what I could find out. What do you people advise?
  • I just found out that my knee cartilage has separated from the bone underneath. So now I have something called osteochondritis dissecans or OCD. I've been told this problem won't go away without surgery. Why not?
  • How many surgeries are common when someone is diagnosed with childhood hip dislocation?
  • My child was just diagnosed with hip dysplasia, and he his sixteen months old, what are the changes in lifestyle that might be expected based on this information?
  • My 9 year old son recently fell off our coffee table and dislocated his shoulder. I took him to the emergency room and it was put back in place and he was put into a sling.  What can I expect from here on out?  
  • My 14 year old son is keeps subluxing his shoulder.  He says this does not bother him and I’ve found him doing it for his friends’ amusement.  Should I be concerned about this?  Does he need surgery?   
  • My son is 7 and has very flat feet.  I am concerned that this will cause him problems in the future.  Is there anything that we should be doing now for him?
  • What is the Ponseti method for treatment of clubfoot?
  • What is idiopathic congenital clubfoot?
  • What is developmental dysplasia of the hip?
  • Will my baby undergo imaging studies when they are born to look for developmental hip dysplasia?
  • My 12 year old recently was bitten by our cat and now has a red track running up into his forearm.  Should I be concerned about this?  If I took him to the doctors, what could they do for him?
  • My toddler bit me yesterday on my upper arm and broke the skin. Should I seek treatment? I am embarrassed about this however I am wondering if there is a chance of infection.
  • How effective are physical therapy exercises for reducing back pain in children?
  • What is better, educating kids on back care, or keeping kids active with regular exercise and educating them on taking care of their back?
  • My 10-year-old daughter has been complaining of back pain. She seems very young to be having such pain. Is there a chance that it is something serious?
  • My daughter is 14 years old and is in competitive gymnastics. She recently has been complaining about low back pain. Often in gymnastics, they push through the pain. Should I encourage her to just keep going to practice in hopes that it will go away since she is so young?