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Related Experiment Videos

Normal variants in the paediatric orthopaedic population.

D Molony1, G Hefferman, M Dodds

  • 1Department of Orthopaedics, Children's University Hospital, Temple Street, Dublin 1.

Irish Medical Journal
|March 2, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Many children referred to pediatric orthopaedic clinics have normal lower limb variations, not true pathology. This highlights a need for strategies to reduce unnecessary referrals and conserve resources.

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Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Orthopedics
  • Developmental Biology
  • Clinical Medicine

Background:

  • Parental concern over normal lower limb development variations frequently leads to pediatric orthopaedic referrals.
  • These referrals can strain clinic resources and time.
  • Distinguishing normal variations from true pathology is crucial for efficient patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the proportion of new referrals to a pediatric orthopaedic clinic that represent normal developmental variations.
  • To identify common normal variations leading to referrals.
  • To assess the rate of true pediatric orthopaedic pathology among new referrals.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of referral letters and case notes for new patients over a three-month period.

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  • Categorization of referrals based on the primary reason for consultation.
  • Documentation of cases with confirmed true orthopaedic pathology.

    • Main Results:

    • Normal variations in anatomy and physiology constituted 53.1% of all new referrals.
    • Intoeding and flexible flat feet were the most frequent reasons for referral in the normal variation category.
    • True primary pediatric orthopaedic pathology was identified in only 16.3% of new referrals.

    Conclusions:

    • A significant majority of new referrals to pediatric orthopaedic clinics are due to normal developmental variations, not pathology.
    • These non-pathological referrals consume valuable clinical time and resources.
    • Developing strategies to minimize referrals for normal variations is essential for optimizing pediatric orthopaedic services.