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A Battery of Motor Tests in a Neonatal Mouse Model of Cerebral Palsy

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The limping child.

Martin J Herman¹, Melissa Martinek²

¹Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Pediatrics, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA.

Pediatrics in Review

|May 3, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Limping in children presents a diagnostic challenge. A systematic evaluation, considering trauma, infections, and rare malignancies, is crucial for accurate diagnosis and timely treatment.

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Measurements of Motor Function and Other Clinical Outcome Parameters in Ambulant Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

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Published on: January 12, 2019

Area of Science:

Pediatrics
Orthopedics
Diagnostic Medicine

Background:

Limping in children and adolescents is a common yet complex clinical presentation.
It poses a significant diagnostic challenge for primary care clinicians due to a wide differential diagnosis.
Trauma and infections are the most frequent etiologies, but inflammatory conditions, developmental issues, and malignancies must also be considered.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide a systematic approach for evaluating pediatric limping.
To outline key diagnostic considerations and tests for common and rare causes of limping.
To highlight orthopedic emergencies and specific diagnostic criteria for conditions like septic arthritis.

Main Methods:

Systematic clinical evaluation and diagnostic workup.
Consideration of common causes (trauma, infection) and rare causes (malignancy).
Application of consensus-based guidelines for laboratory testing and physical examination.

Main Results:

Infectious etiology may warrant complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and blood cultures.
Orthopedic emergencies include vascular compromise, compartment syndrome, and open fractures.
Septic arthritis diagnosis is supported by the presence of Kocher criteria; laboratory studies may not be definitive for juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Conclusions:

A thorough, systematic evaluation is essential to narrow down the differential diagnosis of pediatric limping.
Understanding key diagnostic criteria and recognizing orthopedic emergencies can improve patient outcomes.
Careful examination of joints above and below the affected area is vital for diagnosing conditions like slipped capital femoral epiphysis and Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease.