Childhood Bone and Muscle Health Issues: Signs, Categories, and Identification Methods
In children, musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders and cancers can cause pain, impair movement, and require medical attention. Here's a closer look at some common MSK conditions and cancers affecting children.
Muscular Dystrophy (MD)
Progressive muscle conditions, such as MD, worsen over time and require lifelong treatment. The most common type, Duchenne MD, usually begins in early childhood and leads to muscle degeneration and weakness over time, affecting various bodily movements and functions, including heart and lung function. Other common types include Myotonic dystrophy, Facioscapulohumeral MD, Becker MD, and Emery-Dreifuss MD.
Osteomyelitis
An infection of the bone, osteomyelitis is a type of MSK infection in children. It affects around 1 in every 10,000 children, with more cases occurring in children under 5 years old. Staphylococcus aureus is a bacteria that often causes osteomyelitis and septic arthritis in children.
Septic Arthritis
Septic arthritis, an infection of the joints, is another type of MSK infection in children. It affects around 2,000 children in the United States each year, and it most often occurs in boys and children under 5.
Inflammatory Arthritis
The most common type of inflammatory arthritis in children is juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), which occurs slightly more often in girls. JIA usually develops in children of preschool age and teens and can cause swollen, painful joints, stiffness, new clumsiness, or an unwillingness to move around.
Malignant Musculoskeletal Tumors
Malignant musculoskeletal tumors are rare in children, but signs of these types of cancer can include unexplained bone pain and swelling, unexplained soft tissue lumps that are growing larger, and other symptoms such as severe joint pain, a severe limp, joint swelling, deep bone pain, persistent night pain, weakness, regression, loss, or delay in development, fatigue, weight loss, swollen lymph nodes, or a pale appearance.
The most common types of musculoskeletal cancers in children are osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma. These are primary bone and soft tissue cancers that predominantly affect the pediatric population.
Treatment
Treatment for inflammatory arthritis in children can include medication such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). When a child presents with symptoms such as joint or bone pain, doctors may perform a physical examination, blood tests, imaging tests, biopsies, synovial fluid tests, and bone marrow tests to determine the cause.
If a child is diagnosed with a malignant musculoskeletal tumor, treatment will depend on the specific type and stage of the cancer. This may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or a combination of these treatments.
It's important to note that many MSK disorders and cancers in children are rare, but they can be severe and require medical attention. If your child shows any symptoms, it's essential to contact a doctor for a proper evaluation and treatment plan.
