Knee pain in children · If the pain lasts longer than two weeks · If the pain affects performance · If the pain causes lameness · If the pain is all the child thinks about in the meantime. Some of the most common injuries that cause knee pain in children and adolescents are fractures, dislocations, and sprains and tears of soft tissues, such as ligaments and tendons. In many cases, the injuries affect more than one structure of the knee. At Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, our pediatric orthopedic and sports medicine specialists are specially trained to recognize the specific signs and symptoms that may be causing your child or adolescent's knee pain, so that they can make an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.
The knee is the largest joint in the body and is made up of many important and complex structures. Knee injuries, especially to children and teens who are still growing, can cause both short and long-term damage. If your child has pain in the knee, especially if you notice that he is limping, it is important to stop exercising temporarily and to schedule an appointment for one of our specialists to evaluate your child's knee as soon as possible to prevent possible further damage to the knee. Pediatric physical therapists know the important differences between young and adult athletes, which must be considered when treating adolescent injuries.
It is very common for children and teenagers to experience knee pain, especially those who play sports. Among the parts of the knee that are often injured are the distal part of the femur (femur), which is the final part of the femur near the knee; the proximal tibia (tibia), which is the upper part of the tibia near the knee; the tendons, which connect muscles to bones; and ligaments, which connect bones to bones. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the four main ligaments in the knee and helps stabilize a child's knee. It extends diagonally across the middle of the knee and connects the femur to the tibia (tibia).It is one of the most commonly injured knee ligaments.
The anterior cruciate ligament injury can occur during an activity in which a child or adolescent makes cutting and turning movements, as well as when he falls after jumping or when he receives a direct blow to the knee. When the anterior cruciate ligament is injured, it can tear partially or completely, which could leave the knee unstable and risk worsening joint damage. To learn more about the symptoms and causes of an anterior cruciate ligament injury, specific risks for children and adolescents, and how our team of pediatric-trained sports medicine specialists diagnose and treat an anterior cruciate ligament tear, visit our anterior cruciate ligament injuries page. Also known as patellar tendonitis, jumper's knee is an overuse injury to the patellar tendon (tendon that connects the thigh muscle and patella to the tibia) that can cause pain in a child or adolescent during activity.
The main symptom of a jumper's knee is knee pain in the front of the knee, although sometimes there can also be some swelling and stiffness in the joints. In mild cases, knee pain occurs after strenuous activity. The condition can become chronic if left untreated and, in severe cases, the tendon can tear or break. Usually, your child will complain of pain just below the kneecap (kneecap).
It can also be painful to bend and stretch the knee so that there is no resistance. Knee bursitis, or prepatellar bursitis, occurs when the bursa (a small fluid-filled sac) that acts as a cushion between bones, tendons and skin becomes inflamed, produces fluid and swells. Knee bursitis can result from a direct blow to the front of the knee, chronic friction caused by frequent kneeling activities, overuse of joints, conditions such as gout and rheumatoid arthritis, infection, or a direct blow or fall on the kneecap (kneecap).Knee bursitis is very common in wrestling, but it can occur as a result of any activity, including sports such as soccer, basketball, and soccer. Symptoms of knee bursitis include painful swelling in the front of the knee, usually above the kneecap.
You may also feel pain and stiffness when your child bends or straightens his knee. Knee bursitis is usually diagnosed during a physical exam. Sometimes your child's doctor may take a sample of fluid from the bag to make sure it isn't infected. If the fluid inside the bag becomes infected, the knee may hurt even more and become red and hot to the touch.
In the case of infected knee bursitis, the fluid must be drained and your child will be given antibiotics to treat the infection. A patella fracture, also called a patella fracture, is a tear of the kneecap. The patella acts as a shield for the knee joint, and a patella fracture can be very painful. The doctor will need to examine your child and obtain images, such as an X-ray, CT scan, or MRI, to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other possible problems.
The patella (patella), which rests in a groove at the end of the femur, protects the knee joint and helps extend the knee. Patella instability occurs when the kneecap pops out of the groove. Instability or dislocation of the patella usually occurs when the knee is extended and twisted. Direct collisions with the knee can also cause a dislocation of the patella.
Symptoms of patella instability may include knee pain, painful clicks, and swelling. You may also notice that your child's kneecap is placed on the outside of the knee or that your knee it has an abnormal appearance. During a physical exam, your child's doctor will evaluate range of motion, check stability and mobility, and pinpoint any sensitive areas. X-rays of the knee will be taken to show the alignment of the patella and to check for fractures in the patella or femur.
Additional images, such as an MRI or CT scan, may be used to check for bone or cartilage injuries, to check for tears in the medial patellofemoral ligament or soft tissue, or to measure the overall alignment of the limbs. After a patella dislocation, the patella may spontaneously return to its normal position, or the doctor may need to reposition it in your place. If your child or adolescent injures the cartilage that covers the knee joint (articular cartilage), this could result in the loss of bone or cartilage fragments within the joint, so pediatric sports surgery may be recommended. Children with recurrent patella instability may need surgery to stabilize the patella, repair structures (bones, muscles, tendons, or ligaments) on the inside of the knee, release tight structures on the outside of the knee, or modify leg alignment.
Recurrent patella dislocations are more common in children and are often the result of abnormal anatomy that increases the chance of children dislocating their kneecap. Unlike adults, children have open growth plates to allow for continued bone growth. When considering surgical options for your child's recurrent patella dislocations, treatment options and timing may vary depending on whether the growth plates are open or closed. A medial collateral ligament (MCL) tear is a sprain or tear of the medial collateral ligament (MCL), the ligament that helps stabilize the inside of the knee.
Often, a child or adolescent will say that they heard or felt a “click” in the knee at the time of the anterior cruciate ligament injury, followed by pain on the inside of the knee. The knee may also swell and weaken. Once the swelling subsides, your teen will be able to walk, but usually they will continue to feel pain when the inner part of the knee is stretched. You may also say that your knee feels unstable and that it “gives way”, causing you to trip or fall.
To diagnose an anterior cruciate ligament tear, the doctor will perform a physical exam in which he will press on the child's knee and legs and move them in certain ways to check the ligaments. The doctor may also order an X-ray and an MRI to see if the MCL tear is partial or complete or if there are other damages. Osgood-Schlatter disease, also called apophysitis of tibial tuberosity, is an overuse injury to cartilage that grows just below the knee, in the upper part of the tibia, in an area called tibial tuberosity. This is where the patellar tendon is inserted into the tibia.
Osgood-Schlatter syndrome is caused by a repetitive and rigorous movement during sports, which overloads the growth plate in the upper part of the tibia and increases stress on the bone. Risk factors may include rapid growth, decreased flexibility, overlapping sports seasons, the start of a new sports season, and playing sports throughout the year. This condition can occur with chronic, repetitive pulls of growing cartilage or with a specific event, such as a fall or sudden jump. Symptoms may include knee pain, swelling, lameness, and possibly a bump or lump on the top of the tibia.
Boys ages 12 to 18 and girls ages 10 to 16 who play sports have the highest risk of developing Osgood-Schlatter. Osgood-Schlatter is diagnosed by a physical examination of your child's knee. X-rays may be needed to rule out other conditions and may show an irregularity or fragmentation in the tibial tubercle, which is the bulge under the kneecap (patella). Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is a joint condition in which bone underneath the cartilage that covers a joint (in this case, the knee) dies.
The bone and cartilage can then break off and cause pain and, possibly, block joint movement. Doctors aren't exactly sure what causes obsessive-compulsive disorder, but it may be due to a loss of blood supply to the bones or to repeated strain on the knee from playing sports or other activities activities. It's also thought to be genetic, as the condition can run in families. OCD injuries usually occur in children or adolescents between the ages of 10 and 20 who are very active, such as those who play sports such as gymnastics, baseball and soccer.
Injuries also often occur in people whose bones are not straight (for example, people with arched legs or bent knees). To diagnose obsessive-compulsive disorder, your child will first undergo a physical exam and the doctor will ask about any sport or activity they play and what their symptoms are. The doctor may also recommend an X-ray or MRI. Runner's knee, or patellofemoral stress syndrome, is an overload injury that develops due to repetitive pressure between the patella (patella) and the femur.
There are many factors that can cause a runner's knee, such as flat or pronated feet (a collapsed arch), knees that bend when running or jumping, muscle imbalances, insufficient training, and the use of footwear without sufficient support. Proper stretching and strengthening of the muscles surrounding the knee can help reduce the risk of injury. Runner's knee is common in runners and children who play sports such as soccer, lacrosse and volleyball. Your child's doctor will perform a physical exam.
An X-ray may be needed to confirm the diagnosis or rule out other causes of knee pain, such as patella instability. Sinding-Larsen-Johansson syndrome (SLJ) is a condition that occurs near the bottom of the kneecap (kneecap). It involves the patella tendon, which connects the patella to the tibia (tibia). The growth plate on the bottom of the kneecap becomes irritated and inflamed.
Repetitive stress, rapid growth, decreased flexibility, and overuse can cause SLJ. It is a common injury in growing athletes between the ages of 7 and 13 who play sports that may require repetitive running and jumping. To diagnose SLJ, your child will undergo a physical exam. Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and about any sports or activities you play.
A fold is a fold in the thin connective tissue that covers the knee joint and allows a child to bend and move the leg easily. Although rare, when the splice becomes inflamed, enlarged, or irritated and causes symptoms, the condition is known as a symptomatic splint. The splint injury usually causes symptoms after rapid growth or a direct blow to the area. The fold and the connective tissue that covers it are thought to thicken and begin to thicken between the patella (patella) and the femur, causing pain in the knee (patella). It is not uncommon for symptomatic plump to appear at the start of a new sports season or with a sudden increase in training levels.
Athletes who practice athletics, cross-country skiing, soccer and cycling are especially vulnerable to spine injuries. Symptoms may occur suddenly (acute) or over time (chronic). Persistent knee pain during activity is the most common symptom, but sometimes athletes also experience what is commonly referred to as a “stuck knee”. A doctor will need to examine your child to make the diagnosis and rule out other possible problems.
You may also have an X-ray or MRI to confirm the diagnosis. There is no single test that can definitively diagnose symptomatic plump. Most symptomatic pleats can be treated without surgery. Sports physical therapy may be recommended to help your child or adolescent improve strength and mobility, as well as to prevent future spine injuries. A tibial spine fracture occurs when the anterior cruciate ligament stretches and separates the tibial spine (a bony ridge at the top of the tibia or tibia) from the rest of the bone. This fracture can occur when the knee extends too far or twists.
It is more common in children because the child's anterior cruciate ligament is stronger than the still-growing tibia. After a physical exam, an X-ray or MRI can help diagnose the fracture correctly. This is the best way to make sure your child gets the right treatment. If the tibial spine fracture is more serious, surgery will be needed to help it heal properly. In many cases, a minimally invasive procedure known as an arthroscopic procedure can be used to reposition the fractured fragment in place and fix it properly.
This procedure involves placing two nails in the knee. The nails place a suture over the tibial crest to place it in the correct position. By treating a tibial spine fracture in this way, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon can repair it properly and avoid damaging the nearby growth plate. The tibial tubercle is the bulge at the top of the tibia, where the patellar tendon attaches.
A tibial tuber fracture is a rare knee injury in growing athletes that can result from a forced extension of the knee rather than a fixed leg. A tibial tuber fracture occurs when a child falls on a straight knee after a jump or when he tries to extend (stretch) the knee forcefully when the leg can't move, such as when his child tries to kick a soccer ball but hits it instead the floor. You will have an X-ray and possibly an MRI to confirm the diagnosis. When the tibial tuber fractures, it is often necessary to repair it surgically to help ensure that the knee can remain stretched.
The fracture is usually repaired with a few screws, and your child is immobilized with a splint or knee brace for about six weeks. Once the plaster is removed, sports physical therapy is often necessary to help strengthen the quadriceps (muscles in the front of the thigh) .The meniscus is the gummy tissue in the knee that serves as a cushion between the tibia (tibia) and the femur, protecting the knee joint and helping the ligaments by providing stability to the knee joint. Children younger than 12 rarely tear their meniscus, but if a child has a meniscus tear, it's usually due to significant trauma. However, it can also happen if your child has abnormal cartilage.
This is called discoid meniscus, which is an anomaly of the structure of the meniscus. Instead of the meniscus having its typical C-shape, the center of the cartilage is filled to varying degrees. A discoid meniscus can be thick and round, causing it to break when the knee performs various movements. It can also be torn randomly in very young children.
Usually, only one knee is affected. After a physical examination, an MRI is performed to confirm the diagnosis. Radiologic tests, such as an X-ray or CT scan, may also be ordered to rule out additional injuries. Since a torn meniscus rarely heals on its own, it's best to treat it surgically. If left untreated, more damage or tear can occur to the remaining meniscus or, worse, to the joint surface (articular cartilage).).
Treatments for a knee injury will vary depending on the type and severity of the injury. Treatments can range from rest and sports physical therapy to surgery. Whether your child or teen has suffered a minor sprain or a total tear of the anterior cruciate ligament, any type of knee swelling is not normal. If your child has swelling, pain, or stiffness in the knee, take him immediately to a pediatric sports medicine specialist for evaluation.
Through proper training and conditioning, and following healthy guidelines, the risk of knee injuries in children and adolescents can be reduced. This content is general information and does not constitute specific medical advice. Always consult a doctor or health care provider if you have any questions or concerns about a child's health. In case of an urgent concern or emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department right away. Some affiliated doctors and health professionals on the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta team are independent providers and are not our employees.
We have created a 10- to 15-minute exercise library, designed to help reduce the risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury and, at the same time, improve athletic performance. Find out why a GP who specializes in pediatric sports medicine is the best option for a young athlete after an injury. A health care provider will diagnose Osgood-Schlatter disease through a physical exam. They will examine your child's knee and the area around it.
Tell your healthcare provider when your child first noticed symptoms, such as pain or tenderness, and if he is playing any sports or physical activity that could have caused his symptoms. See a medical professional if your child has symptoms such as pain or swelling that don't get better with a few days of rest and home treatments. Tell your healthcare provider if the symptoms of Osgood-Schlatter come back (come back) after your child resumes sports or physical activities. Knee injuries affect a significant proportion of young athletes.
These injuries put athletes at greater risk of chronic pain and, potentially, osteoarthritis. We have reviewed the most common knee injuries and traumatic knee injuries, as well as differentiating factors among the adult population to improve and accelerate the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of young athletes with knee injuries. SLJ shares clinical and pathophysiological characteristics with the OSD. Sometimes it can occur simultaneously with OSD.
The lower pole of the patella remains cartilaginous in adolescents. On physical examination, there is focal tenderness and swelling in the lower patella. SLJ is also a clinical diagnosis, but images can be obtained if the diagnosis is not clear. The x-rays may be normal or show bumps on the lower pole of the kneecap.
On ultrasound, SLJ is characterized by swelling, thickening of the patellar tendon with possible calcifications, fragmentation of the lower pole of the patella, and infrapatellar bursitis. Magnetic resonance imaging shows the formation of bone spurs, the fragmentation of the lower patella associated with spinal edema, the thickening and calcification of the proximal patellar tendon, and inflammation of the surrounding soft tissues. The treatment and the The prognosis is similar to those of OSD. Full recovery usually takes 12 to 24 months and should resolve when athletes reach skeletal maturity.
Sudden swelling around the knee after an injury is a sign of problems, as is knee pain. The doctor will ask detailed questions about the pain and any events or accidents that may have occurred before the knee started to hurt. Then we will examine the knee. Knee pain usually starts gradually during or after sports activities. There is usually no history of a specific injury.
The pain is usually dull, diffuse (generalized), and hurts behind the kneecap. The pain can occur in one knee or both. Sitting or squatting for a long time and climbing and descending stairs can worsen pain. Some patients may even report mild swelling.
Most young athletes will need to change their training routine or learn appropriate exercise techniques to correct the problems that cause knee pain. They may also benefit from using a knee brace during activities. However, knee pain in adults is not called Osgood-Schlatter disease once the growth plates harden and become adult bones. Athletes may be at risk of knee problems because of the way they move and the way they use their knees.
Usually, your healthcare provider won't recommend surgery unless your child is in severe pain or has a more serious knee injury, such as a torn knee ligament. He states that knee pain in this age group may be due to overuse, an imbalance in muscle strength and flexibility, or Osgood-Schlatter disease, a condition related to growth. Pain with passive internal tibial rotation and knee flexion may indicate an OCD injury to the medial femoral condyle (Wilson's sign). Common complications of a tibial spine fracture are stiffness or instability of the knee, similar to those of an anterior cruciate ligament tear or a sprain kneeling.
