Pediatric Orthopaedic

What is Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery?

Pediatric orthopedic surgery is a medical procedure that deals with the involvement of musculoskeletal (bone, joint or muscle) problems. This musculoskeletal problem is usually found in children, infants and adolescents. Children while growing, go through different metabolism activities. Their bodies grow differently and contrastively from one another because of these metabolism activities. Some young children who are still in their growing period develop certain types of disorders or injuries. Their bodies react to those disorders and injuries differently. Therefore, keeping in mind that one needs to cater to the needs of these special children with orthopedic disorders and provide expertise in diagnosing and treating a wide range of conditions.

Types of Treatments and Disorders

Pediatric Orthopedic comprises different techniques, these techniques are used to treat different types of problems. A pediatric orthopedic surgeon is the one whose precise area is dedicated to the care of musculoskeletal problems in children and adolescents. The growth and development in children happen very smoothly most children. However, in some cases, this smooth process can be disrupted because of both natural as well as non-natural reasons. These natural and non-natural reasons can be injuries, birth malformations, neurological disorders, or bone infection. Medical assistance must be given to the medical experts to treat these problems. The expert must treat the patient effectively and more precisely as soon as possible. Because childhood injuries and disorders or deformities can simply be intertwined or mixed with a lack of precision then the overall growth of the child suffers. Therefore, the importance of pediatric orthopedic surgery can be observed as it is an approach to ensuring the child’s optimal functionality. Some techniques are undertaken and these techniques are used to treat joints, muscles, or bone problems. Under the banner of Pediatric Orthopedic the techniques are as follows:

Braces
Splints
Physical therapy
Observation of growth

Certain conditions can be found and these conditions are as follows:

Injuries

Scoliosis

Congenital deformities

Neurological disorders

Injuries

Injuries to muscles, bones, and joints that are caused in different ways such as:

Improper body structure.
Staying in a bad position for a long period.
Doing and carrying out the same task in a repetitive manner.
Some injuries are caused by manual force. And these forces can be a normal push, pull, slide, stopping, or move. Due to these forces, there can be issues and problems such as sore joints, cuts, burns, lower back, neck injuries, muscular pain, and poor circulation.

Scoliosis

It is a problem in which the curvature of the spine or backbone spurts during the growth before the child hits his or her puberty. Or in simpler words, it can be defined as the condition that causes the spine to get curved into a “C” or “S” shape. There are different types of scoliosis:

Idiopathic: Girls are eight times more likely to develop it than boys; Idiopathic is the most common type of scoliosis.
Early-onset: It is a type of scoliosis that mostly happens to those children who are often boys.
Congenital: This can be present during the birth in which the parts of the spine are misshapen.
Neuromuscular: Scoliosis is caused by a neurological condition.

Congenital deformities

Congenital deformity is a type of defect that is by birth. It is a condition that is present regardless of the cause behind it. Postural defects and scoliosis are some of the very common congenital diseases of the spine. In this condition, a part of the whole lower or upper limb cannot form normally or is not at all forming when the baby is growing in the uterus.

Neurological disorders

It is a type of disorder in which the direct impact is on the nervous system most important it affects the brain and neurons.

Various types of abnormalities that can be treated with the help of pediatric orthopedic surgery and they are as follows:

Clubfoot

Hip Dysplasia

Perthes

Limb lengthening

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI)

Muscular dystrophy (MD)

Hand disorders are congenital disorders as well

Limb length discrepancies

Growth-related conditions

Clubfoot

Clubfoot is a type of foot abnormalities or deformity in which the foot of the baby is twisted out or they are in a twisted position. It is a congenital deformity. The term “clubfoot” refers to the way the foot is positioned at a sharp angle to the ankle, like the head of a golf club. It is a very common birth defect that can be seen in children. If this deformity is left untreated then, the child will face tremendous difficulty while walking.

Hip Dysplasia

Hip dysplasia is another type of disorder. In this, the hip gets dislocated. As we know the hip region is a ball and socket joint. Different conditions influence this problem.

Perthes

It is a very rare childhood disorder that affects and influences the head of the femur bone. In this Perthes disorder, the blood supply to the growth plate at both the end of the femur (called the epiphysis). It is not clear why this blood vessel problem occurs in the femoral head. It is neither due to injury nor a general blood vessel problem.

Limb lengthening

Limb lengthening is the surgical method used to increase the length of the bone, replacing the damaged bone or missing bone. It is also used to correct the posture of the individual’s body.

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI)

It is one of the serious conditions that happen because of genetics. This is a type of disorder in which the bones break very easily.

Muscular dystrophy (MD)

It is another type of inherited or genetic deformity in which the muscles get weak and the availability of the fatty acids can be seen.

Hand disorders are congenital disorders as well

Congenital is a condition that is present right after being born. In this condition, the chances of having the disorder are very high. Moreover, there are other hand disorders and deformities and they are as follows:

Juvenile arthritis
Nerve and skeletal injuries
Limb disorders due to cerebral palsy
Growth disorder in the upper limbs of the human body

Limb length discrepancies

It is another serious condition in which the disproportion of the limb can be seen. The limbs include the legs as well as the arms.

Growth-related conditions

Lordosis: In this disorder, the child gets a swayback if the affected spine shows curvature.
Tibial torsion: In this condition the twisting of the bones that are in between the ankle and the knee can be seen.
Femoral anteversion: Femoral anteversion is a type of condition in which the thigh bone twists inward and that causes the feet of the child to turn inward.

Pediatric Orthopedic Conditions

The phenomenon of growth and development is somehow related to one another and so we can say that there is a condition if we talk about specifically, a particularly targeted opportunity can be achieved with the help of pediatric orthopedic surgery. Hence if the process of growth is disturbed with any of the deformities, then after having the proper consultation one can have all these malformations treated subsequently. For instance, the different types of conditions are listed below:

Knee Conditions

Hip Conditions

Spine Conditions

Foot and Ankle Conditions

Elbow

Shoulder

Knee Conditions

Blount’s disease
Meniscus tears
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries
Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD)
Knee Disorders
Ligament Injuries (MLC, LCL, PLC)
Plica Syndrome
Patellar (Kneecap) Dislocations
Leg Length Discrepancies

Hip Conditions

Hip dysplasia dislocation
Femoral anteversion
Legg-Calve-Perthes disease
Hip impingement, labral tears
Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE)

Spine Conditions

Scoliosis
Kyphosis
Spina bifida
Spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, stress fracture
Pediatric spinal deformity and spine disorders

Foot and Ankle Conditions

Elbow

Osteochondritis Dissecans
Ligament Injuries
Growth Plate Injuries
Little Leaguer’s Elbow

Shoulder

Labral Tears
Shoulder Instability or Dislocation
Little Leaguer’s Shoulder

Given above are the conditions that can be treated with the help of pediatric orthopedic surgery. We all know that a child’s musculoskeletal problems are different from those of an adult. This is because they are in the growing stage of their life. The body’s response to infections, injuries, and deformities is quite different than what would be in a full-grown person. Sometimes the problem or the issue that can be seen in a child is merely just a transition that will get resolved in time.

How is Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery performed?

The surgery comprises many steps; therefore, one needs to follow all the given instructions properly to make the surgery successful. There are steps such as:

Step 1: Pre-op evaluation, in this the nursing team checks and cross-check all the important information of the patient. This information is the vital signs such as pulse, blood pressure, etc.

Step 2: It involves the interaction of the orthopedic surgeon. The orthopedic surgeon will come and visit the patient and brief you about the procedure that will be conducted.

Step 3: It includes the procedural part in which the patient is taken to the operating theatre and there he or she is sedated with the help of the anesthesia.

Step 4: The rest of the procedure entirely depends upon the type of surgery that is being performed on the patient. As soon as the surgical process is completed, after some time the child will get discharged from the hospital and then need to follow up with the appointments with the medical experts.

What Is The Cost Of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery In India?

If we talk about the cost of pediatric orthopedic surgery in India, the average cost of Pediatric Surgery in India is USD 7,000 (INR 4,90,000). If we compare this price with other developed countries, it is quite reasonable. The pricing varies because of many factors, these factors can be hospitals, surgeon’s fees as well as the city.

FAQs

What is pediatric orthopedic surgery?

Pediatric orthopedic surgery is a medical procedure that deals with the involvement of musculoskeletal (bone, joint, or muscle) problems.

What is the cost of pediatric orthopedic surgery in India?

The average cost of pediatric orthopedic surgery in India is around $7000. This cost is not definite as there are factors responsible that affect the cost such as hospital, surgeon’s fees as well as the city.

What type of deformities can be treated with the help of pediatric orthopedic surgery?

Deformities that can be treated with the help of pediatric orthopedic surgery are; conditions that can be related to the spine, differences in leg size, hip issues, crooked limbs, angular deformities, knee problems, fractured bone, sports injuries, shoulder problems, etc.

What is scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a very common disorder that occurs in children during their growing years. It is a condition in which the spine curves and creates the C & S alphabet.

What are limb length discrepancies?

It is another serious condition in which the disproportion of the limb can be seen. The limbs include the legs as well as the arms.