[Bone and joint lesions in burns in childhood]

Bone and joint lesions as an underlying cause of disability require exact and emergency diagnosis and treatment. This is a report on the case material of the Pediatric Clinic of Burns and Plastic Surgery, with emphasis on the characteristic features of the children's population, having an essential bearing on the course of osteoarticular changes in the various stages of burn disease. The basic principles of treating osteoarticular lesions in each of the three groups, adopted in the clinic, are outlined, with special attention focused on the therapeutic approach to each of the groups, and on the emergency operative procedures aimed at maximally prompt removal of necrotic tissues and resurfacing of the osteoarticular lesions in early terms with a view to a varying degree preservation of function. Emphasis is also laid on the important practical implications of early rehabilitation as an element invariably present in the complex of functional recovery of the osteoarticular apparatus.