Musculoskeletal/Rheumatology Flashcards
(107 cards)
Remind yourself of the different types of fracture- focusing on those common in children
Others include:
- Linear
- Avulsion
- Segmental
Why are children more prone to green stick & buckle fractures?
- Have more cancellous bone compared to adults who have more cortical bone hence children’s bone are more flexible but not as strong
- Greenstick: flexibility
- Buckle: less strength against compression
Children have a high capacity for bone remodelling; what are advantages of this when it comes to fractures?
Bone remodelling is the process where bone tissue is taken from areas of low tension and deposited in areas of high tension. This allows bone to change to the optimum shape for function. Bones in children have a high capacity for remodelling, which means that even if they are set at an incorrect angle, they will remodel over time to return to the correct shape.
Describe the Salter-Harris classification for growth plate fractures
Mnemonic “SALTR”
- Type 1: straight
- Type 2: above
- Type 3: below
- Type 4: through
- Type 5: crush
Principles of management of fractures in children is same as in adults; remind yourself of 3 principles of fracture repair
-
Fix
- Open reduction
- Closed reduction
-
Hold
- External casts
- K wires
- IM nails
- Screws
- Plates & screws
- Rehabilitate
Describe the WHO pain ladder for children
Which pain medications are not used in children and why?
WHO pain ladder:
- Step 1: paracetamol or ibuprofen (or both)
- Step 2: morphine (if child needs morphine you need to consider whether they need admission)
- Codeine and tramadol not used due to unpredictability in metabolism; this means their effects vary too much to make them a safe and effective option.
- Aspirin contraindicated in children under 16yrs due to risk of Reye’s syndrome (except certain circumstances e.g. Kawasaki disease)
State some potential causes of hip pain in the following age groups:
- 0-4yrs
- 5-10yrs
- 10-16yrs
**NOTE: there is some overlap
0-4yrs
- Septic arthritis
- Developmental dysplasia of hip (DDH)
- Transient synovitis
5-10yrs
- Septic arthritis
- Transient synovitis
- Perthes disease
10-16yrs
- Septic arthritis
- Slipped upper femoral epiphysis
- Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
State some red flags for hip pain in children
- Child under 3 years
- Fever
- Waking at night with pain
- Weight loss
- Anorexia
- Night sweats
- Fatigue
- Persistent pain
- Stiffness in the morning
- Swollen or red joint
When do NICE recommend urgent referral for assessment of a limping child?
- Child under 3 years
- Child older than 9 with a restricted or painful hip
- Not able to weight bear
- Evidence of neurovascular compromise
- Severe pain or agitation
- Red flags for serious pathology
- Suspicion of abuse
State some investigations you may do for a child with hip pain; for each state why
- Joint aspiration: septic arthritis
- FBC: raised WCC in septic arthritis
- CRP & ESR: inflammatory markers in septic arthritis, JIA
- Ultrasound: look for joint effusion
- X-rays: fractures, SUFE
- MRI: osteomyelitis
Septic arthritis can occur at any age; however, in what aged children is it most common?
0-4yrs
What is the most common causative organism in children with septic arthritis?
What are some other common causative organisms?
Most common= Staphylococcus aureus
Other bacteria:
- Neisseria gonorrhoea (sexually active teens)
- Group A streptococcus (Streptococcus pyogenes)
- Haemophilus influenza
- Escherichia coli
*Remember, S.aureus most common cause in adults too, followed by S.pneumoniae
Describe presentation of septic arthritis
Septic arthritis usually only affects a single joint. This is often a knee or hip. It presents with a rapid onset of:
- Hot, red, swollen and painful joint
- Refusing to weight bear
- Stiffness and reduced range of motion
- Systemic symptoms such as fever, lethargy and sepsis
Septic arthritis can be subtle in young children, so always consider it as a differential when a child is presenting with joint problems.
State some differential diagnoses for septic arthritis in children
- Transient synovitis
- Perthes disease
- Slipped upper femoral epiphysis
- Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
What investigations would you do for child with suspected septic arthritis?
- FBC: raised WCC
- U&Es: baseline
- LFTs: baseline
- CRP: raised
- Joint aspiration (for gram staining, crystal microscopy, culture & abx sensitivities)
- Blood culture: ?sepsis
What criteria can be used to help diagnose septic arthritis?
Kocher criteria
Discuss the management of septic arthritis
If suspect septic arthritis require admission to hospital & ortho involvement:
- Empirical IV abx e.g. IV flucloxacillin (switch to more specific once sensitivities known); abx usually for 3-6 weeks
- May require surgical drainage & washout
Transient synovitis (also known as irritable hip) is one of most common causes of hip pain in children aged 3-10yrs; discuss:
- What it is
- What is it usually associated with?
- Temporary inflammation & irritation in synovial membrane of joint
- Recent viral URTI
*NOTE: don’t typically have fever. If they have fever & joint pain need urgent investigations & management for septic arthritis
Discuss typical presentation of transient synovitis
Symptoms of transient synovitis often occur within a few weeks of a viral illness. They present with acute or more gradual onset of:
- Limp
- Refusal to weight bear
- Groin or hip pain
- Mild low grade temperature
Children with transient synovitis should be otherwise well. They should have normal paediatric observations and no signs of systemic illness. When other signs are present, consider alternative diagnoses.
Discuss the management of transient synovitis
- Exclude other differential diagnoses
- Symptomatic management with simple analgesia
- Can be managed in primary care if limp present for <48hrs and other diagnoses excluded; must give clear safety net advice and follow up between 48hrs-1 week later
Discuss prognosis of transient synovitis, include:
- How long it lasts for
- Any lasting problems/effects
- Recurrence
- Often significant improvement in 24-48hrs; symptoms fully resolve in 1-2 weeks
- No lasting problems
- Reoccur in 20%
For Legg-Calve-Perthes disease discuss:
- Common age of presentation
- Which gender most common in
- Cause
- Pathophysiology
- Mostly between 5-8yrs (but can occur in children aged 4-12yrs)
- More common in boys
- Idiopathic
- There is disruption of blood flow to femoral head leading to avascular necrosis of epiphysis. Over time there is revascularisation or neovascularisation and healing of femoral head alongside remodelling of bone as it heals
Describe typical presentation of Perthes disease
5-8yr old boy presenting with slow onset of:
- Pain in the hip or groin
- Limp
- Restricted hip movements
- There may be referred pain to the knee
- No history of trauma (NOTE: if history of minor trauma in older child think of SUFE)
What investigations may you do in suspected Perthes disease?
- Initial investigation= x-ray
- Others:
- FBC, CRP/ESR: exclude other causes
- Technetium bone scan
- MRI scan