What could be causing my toddler to limp?

[Petallic]

DD is nearly 2 and has had a limp for over a week. Just woke up one morning limping. No memorable falls/injuries. GP referred to A&E who took an X-ray of pelvis & hip with nothing found. Seems to be clenching toes and walking with weight on side of foot.

She's still got a very noticeable limp that hasn't improved since last week. It's not slowed her down at all and she doesn't seem to be in pain with it, although I'm assuming there must be pain somewhere or why else would she limp?

We go back in a week for a fracture clinic referral. Not sure what they will do or look for.

No blood test yet as there was no sign of raised temp, illness, tenderness etc or any other symptoms.

Anyone had similar or know what it could be? I can't find anything on dr google that fits.

[notaflamingclue]

I've come quite late to this thread, but I've recently come out the other side of transient synovitis (irritable hip) with my DD. She was 13 months when she first started limping, and it appeared about a day after she had viral tonsilitis. We had blood tests which showed nothing, X-rays which showed nothing and MRI scan which showed nothing. We also saw two paediatric orthopaedic specialists.

They basically said that it must be irritable hip because it definitely wasn't Perthe's, dysplasia, CLL or septic arthritis (or anything else). Unfortunately she had the limp for about 2 months, and it was very noticeable. However, it eventually disappeared, pretty much overnight, and she has now been fine for nearly 3 months. I think what happened was that she kept getting viruses, which caused relapses. 2 months is quite a long time for irritable hip and so if your DD is still suffering it may be that she's got a secondary virus which has caused a relapse. I hope she's better very soon anyway.

[Petallic]

If it is reactive arthritis how long can that last for? We are on day 10 now and her limps changed but I think that's because she's adapted her walking style - the limp doesn't look as severe but she's now walking with the limp leg more side on (not quite dragging it behind her but more that type of movement) and keeping her limp leg straighter now. Appt isn't for another few days but it's hard not watching her walk constantly!

[nocoolnamesleft]

IV antibiotics = worried about a septic arthritis. By "just" reactive arthritis I wasn't meaning to belittle symptoms, but that a true reactive arthritis gets better without needing anything doing, and is by far the most common, but that other much less likely options could include septic arthritis (long course IV antibiotics etc) subtle fracture, and some more unusual things that would also need something doing to sort them out. Basically, when doing xrays/bloods they're looking for anything going on except for reactive arthritis (also called irritable hip...although it doesn't have to be the hip), and if they don't find anything else then it's reassurance that it is reactive arthritis and will get better by itself.

[Hannahabbott]

Diagnosed as she wasn't showing signs of anything else accept pain in her hip. She was 6 so able to verbalise her symptoms. Prescribed ibuprofen and given a paeds ward appointment for after the weekend but by the Monday she was mobile enough to go to school and the pain was reducing so we cancelled it. Symptoms gone in a week, if they hadn't the next step was an xray and bloods.

[Petallic]

Hannah how did they diagnose it? Did they eventually take a blood test or just rule out everything else?

Not that I would wish it on children but having lots of other people who have had similar is making me feel a bit less worried whilst I wait for her next appt.

I like the sound of the growing being the cause too hope can I pick that one please. DD is a dinky little thing so a growth spirt would be nice!

[BikeRunSki]

That last post was meant to start "that's right of course".

[BikeRunSki]

That's try of course hannah. He was in hospital on IV anitibiotics for over a week, so maybe I misunderstood the Iikely cause. It was reactive arthritis though, but done honest, I'm not sure the docs were ever sure of its origins.

[PJ67]

Hi I have 3 boys who have all had irritable hip around age 2 or 3. The oldest 2 lasted 3 or 4 days but when my youngest had it he wouldn't walk for about 2 weeks. He was in hospital for a few days as he also had a rash but apart from that none of them had any virus before the limping. I think that a virus sometimes just settles in the hip.

[Hannahabbott]

Dd had an irritable hip which appeared over night and continued for 5-7 days. She was seen in a&e but not x-rayed and no bloods taken as she had no temp and didn't fit the profile of a more serious condition which they said tends to be overweight boys. I didn't even notice the viral infection that proceeds it, it was so mild.

Bikeskirun - antibiotics would have been administered for a bacterial infection not a viral one.

[LauraChant]

DS also had similar which was reactive arthritis following chicken pox. It was about three weeks between the pox and the limp. He definitely was cranky though - crying with pain and had to stay night in hospital.

[WalterandWinifred]

DS had a week of limping at just over 2. No apparent cause, though he did fall over at nursery the day it started. He seemed to like the attention it brought. I was starting to worry it was something more when it went away. I hope yours is similar!

[paxtecum]

One of my DGC had similiar.
A McTimoney chiropractor sorted it the imbalance.
Might be worth trying if you have a spare 40 or so.

[HopeJacob]

Just to say my daughter limped for a few weeks at age of 2. GP eventually diagnosed 'growing' as the cause!

I know that there are more serious conditions that can cause a limp and, of course these need to be investigated, but the presence of a limp can turn out to be something and nothing. Apparently growing legs and joints can get out of kilter!

[BikeRunSki]

There's no "just" about reactive arthritis!

[SofiaAmes]

In all his occurrences, he was pretty much unable to walk for several days. High doses of ibuprofen cleared it up every time.

[SofiaAmes]

Between the ages of 5 and 10 Ds had multiple (4 or 5) re-occurrences of transient sinovitis to the point where the doctors kept telling me they had never seen a patient with so many re-occurrences. None of them were ever preceded by a significant fever or serious virus. He generally had a cold of some sort between 1 and 2 weeks before the occurrence.

[nocoolnamesleft]

Another one saying "probably just reactive arthritis, but needs bloods"

[Petallic]

She's got the limp both barefooted and in shoes. She literally woke up one morning with it. I thought splinter at first as we have oldish parquet but we can't find anything on her foot - no marks at all.

3062 how long has your DDs problem being going on for? That must be a big worry for you too. I've been googling this evening and found one hospital as a weekly limp clinic for kids - I'm using this to tell myself it's a common problem and hopefully most causes aren't serious

[306235388]

It could be a toddler fracture which often doesn't show up in first x rays.

We are going through the same thing with dd and waiting on an appointment because she has twice woken up unable to walk :(

[Nerf]

God poor you. It's awful when something's not right but you can't get to the bottom of it.
Hope you get somewhere with the clinic.
It couldn't be a habit could it? Or something really silly like a verucca or a toenail or even something in her shoe?

[Petallic]

She's had a orthopaedic dr see her so far, I'm assuming the fracture clinic will be someone from the same team.

[Petallic]

Thanks for the link. She's not had a temp and we've given her a few days of nurofen which made no difference. She's also not cranky so I don't think she feels unwell in herself. That said, she was a prem baby and I don't know if it's that or just her personality she is a tough cookie so something could well be hurting her somewhere. Both the Drs and myself have tried bending and prodding her but I can't get a flinch out of her that makes me think it hurts anywhere specific. I wish she could talk!!!

[Nerf]

www.nhs.uk/conditions/irritable-hip/Pages/Introduction.aspx

[Nerf]

The irritable hip thing was maybe four days to a week?

[BikeRunSki]

For DS's reactive arthritis it was about 2-3 months from the original virus. He needed IV abs, so was admitted. I wouldn't 't have thought that this is your dd's problem, as ds got very ill, very quickly and had a temp of 42oC.