Ortho problems of children need to be treated separately

Vijayawada: Children should not be treated as little adults as their anatomic and physiological development is different from adults, said Dr R Sankar, senior consultant of pediatric orthopedic and spine surgeon at Apollo Children’s Hospital, Chennai.

Addressing the media here on Sunday, he said children’s response to disease, injury and surgery were also different from adults. Orthopedic conditions, including birth and congenital defects (such as club foot or dislocated hip), require treatment and care from birth into adulthood, he added.

Dr Sankar said bone fractures in children were different from adult because of the growing bones and the presence of growth plates and consequently, orthopedic services should be tailored to meet the needs, he added.

He said that limb and spine deformities, clubfoot, scoliosis, (limb length differences), gait abnormalities (limping), broken bones, bone or joint infections and tumors were the orthopedic complaints in children, and should be treated with care.

He said that he was trained extensively in orthopedic surgery in India, the UK and Ireland, focusing on pediatric orthopedics and spine.