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.

[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.

[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.

[BikeRunSki]

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

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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!

[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.