Musculoskeletal (MSK) diseases in children may have an impact in adult life, causing deformities and impairment. They can arise from congenital disorders, developmental diseases, spine disorders, neuro-muscular diseases, infections and tumours, rare diseases affecting the MSK system, or they can be a consequence of trauma.
MSK diseases can also affect the growth of the child, often with an effect on the psychological development of the child manifest by difficulty in adaptation to the playground and in interaction with other children. If not properly treated they may also be responsible for chronic pain and disability, as well as the development of osteoarthritis in adult life.
Although Paediatric Orthopaedics is part of the training for the speciality of Orthopaedics, rare diseases affecting the skeleton of the growing child, infections and malignant tumours require specialized treatment centres able to provide the necessary multi-disciplinary contributions. To best meet the demands of Children’s MSK problems requires harmonized education across Europe in Paediatric Orthopaedics and a specialized fellowship program. This will provide the specialized paediatric orthopaedic surgeons able to respond to the new challenges of the 21st century.
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