Children’s orthopedist – when is it worth going to the clinic with a child?

An orthopedist is a physician specializing in the prevention and treatment of the musculoskeletal system. Children’s orthopedist provides professional medical care for newborns, infants, children and adolescents up to 18 years of age. The first preventive visit to a children’s orthopedic clinic should take place at the turn of the first and second months of a child’s life, and subsequent visits at the key stages of a child’s physical development. You should also make an appointment at an orthopedic clinic at any time when something in the child’s motor development or posture is bothering you. When is it worth visiting an orthopedic clinic for children? What is an indication for consultation with a pediatric orthopedist?

Consultation with a child orthopedist – the reason for the consultation

Orthopedic consultations for children can be both preventive, control and diagnostic, as well as be carried out in the mode of quick assistance in injuries.

A preventive visit to a children’s orthopedist under the National Health Fund is carried out on the basis of a referral issued by a pediatrician or family doctor (assistance in orthopedic injuries is provided without referral). Private orthopedic clinics admit young patients without a referral – it is enough to make an appointment with a selected pediatric orthopedist. 

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What consultation with an orthopedist may your child need? 

preventive consultation – carried out at specific stages of a child’s life in order to assess the motor system, determine the risk of developmental defects and check the motor system at the next stages of physical development (see recommendations later in the text),

follow-up consultations – carried out in the case of children who have undergone orthopedic treatment due to the risk of orthopedic diseases or due to confirmed defects (e.g. hip dysplasia, posture defects)

urgent assistance in injuries – provided in the event of injuries resulting from various types of accidents. 

Orthopedic prophylaxis – orthopedic assessment in a child

Periodic checks, preventive examinations and the so-called orthopedic evaluation is performed on children at different stages of development. Basic orthopedic prophylaxis should include at least 4 follow-up visits: the first around 6 – 8 weeks of the child’s life (to exclude hip dysplasia), the next in the 12 – 16 month of life of the child who has already started walking, and then in two periods of intensive growth: in The child is 6 – 7 years old and between 11 and 14 years old. 

When and why should my child get an orthopedic assessment? Here are the details.

A baby at a children’s orthopedist 

The child’s first visit to an orthopedist concerns the prevention of hip dysplasia. It should be carried out between the 6th and 8th week of the infant’s life. During the visit, ultrasound of the hip joints is performed, and in the case of hip dysplasia – appropriate treatment is recommended. 

If nothing in the child’s development worries us – an orthopedic assessment can be made within 2 – 4 months after starting walking (usually between 12 and 16 months of a child’s life). An orthopedic surgeon should also be consulted if the skills acquired by the infant are implemented in a non-standard / incorrect manner, e.g. limping is noticeable in a walking child. 

A few-year-olds and teenagers in an orthopedic clinic

Each child develops and grows at its own pace. Weight gain and body elongation should be regularly monitored using percentile grids – not only in the first 2-3 years of life, but also later.

Children aged 6-7, starting school, additionally encounter a change in their lifestyle, which may also result in posture errors, e.g. incorrect sitting at a desk. 

The period of the most intensive growth occurs at the age of puberty. The vast majority of children between the ages of 11 and 14 grows by leaps and bounds – the child’s skeleton lengthens significantly in a relatively short time. The muscular system that does not follow the skeleton can cause various types of posture errors, which, if not corrected, may deepen and lead to posture defects. 

Indications for a visit to an orthopedic clinic for children 

In addition to the prophylactic orthopedic assessment, there are a number of indications for consultation with a specialist. The indications for examination in an orthopedic clinic for children include:

asymmetrical and / or protruding blades

a distorted back 

sunken or excessively prominent chest;

overly tense belly

abnormal gait and incorrect positioning of the legs in relation to each other in a standing position – curvatures / deviations within the clan joints (O or X shape) and feet (visible effect of abnormalities may be deformed shoes or unevenly worn soles), this applies to valgus and varus persistent after natural development stage

limping while walking, which may indicate abnormalities in the structure of the lower limbs (including hip joints) or a different length of the lower limbs

abnormalities in the structure of the feet – lack of arching of the foot (flat feet), excessive arching, uneven arching, etc.

A reason to visit a pediatric orthopedist may be any abnormality noticed in the child’s locomotor system. If we are worried about anything and we are not sure if a given element or the way the child performs specific movements is correct – it is not worth delaying the orthopedic consultation! The sooner the diagnosis is made, the sooner the treatment / therapy is started and the higher the probability of correcting the child’s defects.

We would like to thank the team of pediatric orthopedic specialists at GUSTAV Children’s Clinic for their help in preparing the text. Private orthopedic clinic offers comprehensive orthopedic care for children from birth to 18 years of age. You can learn more about the orthopedic clinic for children at: