Knee Problems in Children: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Knee pains are common in children and adolescents, and sometimes require medical intervention. With a proper diagnosis and treatment plan for even the most serious diseases, most children should be able to return to normal activities.

Significance

• According to the Mayo Clinic, up to 20 percent of adolescents involved in sports experience Osgood-Schlatter disease, painful bumps below the knee. Other knee conditions are less common---osteosarcoma, a form of pediatric cancer, and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), which affects 50,000 children in the United States.

Diagnosis

• Children complaining of knee pain or showing signs of redness or swelling of the knee should be seen by a medical professional. Diagnostic efforts include a physical exam and review of symptoms, X-rays and blood work.

Risks

• Children and adolescents active in high-impact sports have a greater chance of developing Osgood-Schlatter and osteochondritis diseases, says keepkidshealthy.com. There are no known risk factors for other knee diseases.

Duration

• Osgood-Schlatter disease, which affects mostly adolescents, usually disappears within a year or two, says the Mayo Clinic. Other knee diseases, which can afflict children at any age, remain until treated effectively. Some children with JRA recover, with treatment, by adulthood; others will have rheumatoid arthritis their entire lives.

Treatment

• Treatment can include limiting physical activity for several weeks to several months; icing and/or wrapping the knee; anti-inflammatory medications; physical therapy; surgery; and chemotherapy and/or radiation.