Help me out here! I don't even know what to google.

[Sneepy]

Just had an appt with an ortho for DD7yo yesterday. He was a bit cagey on the possibilities so I don't even have anything to search for, just a list of symptoms/issues. I don't get freaked out by googling as I prefer to know and whatever the problem is, it's on the mild side. So here are the issues:

DD1 is 7 & in y2. She is pretty average all around academically, struggles a little physically, and is very petite. The reason for the ortho consult is that she stands with her right hip pushed out. It looks like either one of her legs is longer than the other or her pelvis is twisted just looking at her straight on. She uses the right side of her body much more than her left--will try to put her shoes on with her right hand only while the left is clenched by her chest.

She is hypermobile and has been having physio to strengthen her upper body for a few months now. It has helped enormously with her handwriting and her general stamina.

Her lower back and hips are, however, very stiff. She can't get anywhere near to touching her toes. The ortho measured her legs and the length discrepancy is negligible but her pelvis is out of alignment. She had an xray and all her bones are fine, spine straight, no fused vertebrae or anything like that. There was a blurry area on the xray around her pelvis which he pointed out but would not say what it might mean!

She is having another physio assessment in 2 weeks and a followup with the ortho after the radiologist has checked the xrays. He said it could be something to do with the soft tissues around the pelvis or something neurological.

So, mumsnet, what should I look up? It's kind of a vague list of issues and I don't even know where to go with 'something neurological!' Any ideas appreciated!!

I wouldn't look up anything on google its the road to madness!

If there is anything on the X-rays the radiologist will alert the dr very quickly as the would need an MRI or a CT to see more. I would phone the secretary tomorrow to see if they can chase up the report to put your mind at rest on that score.

If the X-ray is fine you will get referred to a neurologist and they will look at birth problems etc. I would not like to suggest anything neurologically as it would just be speculation and as bad as google.

Does she have mild left sided hemiplegia?

Thanks for your replies. I'm not generally freaked out by google, have had some serious health issues myself and in the end I would rather know than not know.

I saw the xray. The blurry patch was just that, a blurry patch kind of in and around the pelvis. But all the bony bits were clear and good. The ortho said it "needs looking into."

It is very mild, whatever it is. There were no birth problems, she was born at 40 + 1, small but perfectly healthy. Fed like a pro from the beginning. Sat up around 6 mos, got her teeth on time, never rolled over & always hated tummy time, crawled at 11mos & walked at 19mos. Potty trained at 3.2, had terrible constipation problems. She was never quite as able as her peers. She still isn't, physically, but she is very determined and is doing well in swimming and likes PE generally. She can pedal a bike though can't ride without stabilizers. Her real problems are mostly around sitting and writing. She gets very fatigued and you can see her handwriting deteriorate as she goes down the page. She has to wrap her legs around the chair legs and tighten up the left side of her body just to be stable enough to write at all. But you wouldn't pick her out of a group as a child who has physical difficulty as it's all pretty subtle and she's so little anyway that I think most of her issues get put down to that.

What I want to know is, what could the neurological component be? What do blurry patches on xrays mean?

The blurry patch could maybe be arthritis if a joint is inflamed. However, it could also just be a blurry patch! Arthritis would however coincide with stiffness (especially in the morning).

Most of the other symptoms sound like typical problems due to hypermobility. My son has this and he 'braces' himself to be able to write and fatigues during the day. A good occupational therapist would greatly improve her handwriting and seating problems so maybe you could ask for a referral.

There are lots of possibilities and although it is hard to sit and wait, you will have to do a fair bit of that. You know your child best and I would suggest, while waiting for further answers, try and find ways that might improve the symptoms, like an OT.

By the way, just another opinion, I am not medically trained just a mum of a medically unlucky boy!

HTH

Thanks again. Yes most of her physical symptoms are due to the hypermobility. She has been having physio for about 2 months now and it's helped quite a bit with her core strength and gross motor skills. I think the consultant is focusing on the stiffness in her back and hips as it's contradictory to her general hypermobility. Guess I will find out!

Thanks for all the replies.