Knees keep giving way - 2 year old

[Emmarobbie]

My 2yr old son has been having problems with his knees giving way, which either results in him falling to the floor or dipping down as he's walking. His childminder had mentioned it a couple of times, saying that he appeared to have weak legs and he'd be walking alongside another child in a buggy & he'd be there one minute & on the floor the next. I had never seen it happen and just put it down to him being clumsy as he rushes a lot and doesnt always look where he's going.

Last week i was getting him ready to go out & he tried to stand up and his knees just gave way, as though someone had swipped his leg from behind & he'd just buckle to the floor. He doesnt appear to be in any pain & can jump, run, kneel etc. I took him to the doctor but by the time we had got there, he seemed to have made a miraculous recovery & was running about. She still checked him over, said she had no concerns & it could be related to growing & to keep an eye on him, look for any patterns (such as does it happen when he's tired, been sitting, kneeling etc).

It happened a lot over the next 2-3 days and now approx 1 week later, seems to be happening a couple of times a day. He also seems to get 'twisty' legs when he's standing sometimes, a bit like how he used to squirm when he was potting training & needed a wee. Again, he appears to be in no pain.

I would appreciate any help that you can offer. Have any of your children had this issue? Do you know of any kids that had/have this?

I look forward to hearing any suggestions or support.

Thanks
Emma

@undercoverhero74 i tried putting a short video of it happening to my son the last time it happend but for some reason i don’t think we can post videos here?

Sounds like Toxic Synovitis (don't worry, it's not as bad as it sounds) in the knees. It normally happens in the hip, but can occur in the knees. My ds first got it when he was 5. He didn't really complain that his hip hurt, he just said he couldn't stand up and his leg would collapse under him. It's treated with high doses of ibuprofen. It can be triggered by an ordinary cold/virus.

@Aimcharl that's really good to hear. I know I'm probably worrying for no reason it just upsets me to see him get so frustrated when it happens. It's not all the time but certainly happens at least 2-3 times a day. Apart from that he is absolutely fine within himself.

@SofiaAmes yea that's what the doctor suggested when I took him to the hospital. He said he couldn't be sure but seems highly likely 🤷🏼‍♀️ it's just been a few weeks now and it's still happening. I did the really sensible thing and interrogated google so now I have worried myself sick.

I will give him some time and see if it corrects itself on its own. Apart from that he's a perfectly happy, healthy little boy.

@SofiaAmes @undercoverhero74
Do you girls have emails i can send the video of my son? also did you capture any videos of your kids? i would love to see if it’s the same!
i’ve tried posting it here but can’t 🤷🏻‍♀️

@Aimcharl I will PM you

Undercoverhero did they prescribe high doses of ibuprofen and are you giving them to your DS? That's a really important part of the treatment because it reduces the inflammation so that the joint can go back to working normally. I even got to the point where I started giving DS ibuprofen whenever he had a cold just to stave off the toxic synovitis even happening. Even if they didn't prescribe it you can safely give him the top dose allowed for his age at the maximum amount per day. And it's worth contacting your Gp for permission to give a higher dose.
My DS is now 20 and was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease when he was 10 so there are other symptoms that go along with the toxic synovitis. He had his last episode of it about 3 years ago. But has all sorts of other symptoms in the aftermath of a cold so I'm wishing we could just go back to the toxic synovitis.

Hi all, my son 28mth is doing the same - it happened on his second birthday, and then again today. Took him to the GP and they've mentioned it could be reactive arthritis - anyone else been told this?

Can you update us on what happened? I have a 15 month old that is doing the same and it is exactly as you described. I know it’s been several years since you originally posted and I’m hoping you see this and can let us know how your baby (although not a baby any more) is doing?

How is your baby? Curious what you found out since my 15 month old is doing the exact same thing.

@NR2247 Hello, sorry for the late reply, I haven't been on this thread for a long time.
My little boy is 4 now and he kind of outgrew it. I'm not sure when it stopped but he is a fit, active 4yr old and is doing amazing.
I notice sometimes when he is poorly that his legs will give a wobble so can only assume it was caused by inflammation of the joints caused by a virus.
Please try not to worry yourself silly like I did. If you are worried chat with the GP x