Summary:
The author summarized the problem of growth pain in children based on his own as well as
literature data and outlined the present views of diagnostics, differential diagnostics and pathogenesis
of this frequent idiopathic musculoskeletal pain at the child age. The author’s own examination
in a group of 216 children at the age of 3–15 years during preventive follow-up examinations
revealed prevalence of growth pain in 16.7%. The prevalence of articular hypermobility
at the child age was detected in 24.9%. The comparison of individual examination groups revealed
that prevalence of hypermobility in the group of children with growth pain (70%) was significantly
higher than prevalence of hypermobility in a common population of children (24.9%)
(p <0.001). It was also demonstrated that prevalence of the growth pain in children where hypermobility
was proved (26.9%) was significantly higher than prevalence of growth pain in a common
population of children (16.7%) (p=0.0038). A pilot examination of markers of bone metabolism in
children with growth pains did not reveal any pathological symptoms. Based on the obtained
results the author demonstrated that hypermobility may be one of significant factors participating
in the origin of the clinical picture of growth pains at the child age. Finally the author present
a survey of possible therapeutic procedures in children suffering from growth pains.
Key words:
growth pains, articular hypermobility, musculoskeletal pain, children
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