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.
Tags: knee diseases, Mayo Clinic, Osgood-Schlatter disease, Other knee, rheumatoid arthritis, which affects