Did you know that for many adults with musculoskeletal conditions, these health problems began in childhood? Children comprise one in ten persons with disabling musculoskeletal health conditions.
These facts are some of the educational points raised by World Pediatric Bone & Joint Day, sometimes called PB&J Day. The purpose of this special day is to raise awareness of the importance of musculoskeletal health in children and adolescents by educating parents and healthcare professionals
about appropriate preventive measures and promoting early detection and treatment of childhood bone and joint problems. Healthy habits for youngsters include regular safe physical activity, appropriate calcium and vitamin
D consumption, and maintaining a healthy weight.
Children’s and adolescents’ bones differ from the bones of adults because they are still growing. This is especially apparent in the long bones of the arms and legs. The ends
of growing bones include growth plates or epiphyseal plates, which are structurally weaker than bone. These cartilaginous areas add length and width to the bones until
about the mid-teen years, when the growth plates harden into solid bone.
If the growth plate on a child’s bone is injured, the bone may grow abnormally, perhaps shorter or longer than normal, or even crooked. Growth plate injuries can be fractures caused
by trauma or overuse injuries. Trauma fractures from childhood activities are most often seen in the fingers, forearm or lower leg. Overuse injuries leading to irritation and inflammation are more common in children who participate
in sports, such as Little League elbow in young pitchers.
Fractures can also occur in children’s hardened bones because they often fall during play, sports or recreational activities. The most common childhood fracture is of the wrist (distal radius fracture) because children often fall onto an outstretched hand. This is when one of the two lower arm bones (radius or ulna) break close to the wrist joint.
Bone and joint problems in children may also be developmental. Developmental hip dysplasia occurs in infants and young children when the hip joint fails to develop normally. Ranging from subluxation to complete dislocation, infant hip dysplasia may be treated with a harness or brace to keep the hip
joint in place or surgery to reposition the ball of the femur and stabilize the hip joint.
Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine, usually diagnosed in late childhood or early teens. Although often mild and causing
no health issues, if the curvature progresses and is severe, it can cause pain and impair breathing. Youths with severe scoliosis may need to wear a brace or have surgery.
Although arthritis is thought of as an adult condition, it can affect children as well. Juvenile arthritis or pediatric rheumatic disease is an autoimmune disease which can cause joint inflammation, pain, swelling and tenderness, or can attack the skin and internal organisms
without causing joint symptoms.
Another musculoskeletal condition generally thought of as an adult problem is osteoporosis. The cause of juvenile osteoporosis is not always known, but it sometimes has a genetic origin or is due to a medical condition such as an eating disorder or hormonal imbalance. Symptoms include
bone pain, easy fracturing, skeletal deformities or reduced height.
World Pediatric Bone & Joint Day highlights these potential musculoskeletal issues that children and adolescents may have. Advocacy, education and research are necessary to promote
improved childhood health and reduce the burden of pediatric bone and joint problems.
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