Taking advantage of the fact that World Osteoarthritis Day was celebrated two days ago, I would like to recover information released this year about the risk factors for this disease, which can help prevent during childhood, in order to prevent its development in adulthood.
Why should we talk about osteoarthritis in a blog dedicated to families with young children if this is a pathology associated with aging? It turns out that although its appearance in minors is exceptional, not so the factors that can determine osteoarthritis when those children become adults.
Dr. Ardévol (traumatologist and former head of the medical services of Barça) specifies these factors in: obesity, sedentary, malformations of the limb axes, or uncontrolled sportsTherefore it would not be difficult to control of these factors by eating habits, regular physical activity; and good information in case our child practices sports (together with the corresponding interview with the coach to ensure that he knows the principles of intensity levels according to the age, ability and physical fitness of children).
Not to mention that you should always practice sports using the most appropriate materials that are required for each of them in particular.
As for the malformations of which we have spoken, the specialist indicates that "skeletal deformities that in the future may cause overload on areas of articular cartilage should be corrected conservatively or surgically".
It may also be due to factors that are associated with the child's development.
As you know, osteoarthritis (which we also know by "joint wear") is a disease that manifests from the age of 40 (although in the case of hip osteoarthritis it can appear from the age of 30 if you play risky sports ). The process includes the softening of an area of the cartilage, after which superficial fissures appear and this begins to be destroyed little by little. Finally there is an involvement of the subchondral bone.
We have mentioned the controllable factors, but there are also others that can lead to the suffering of this pathology, such as inflammatory joint diseases (an example of these is juvenile idiopathic arthritis), osteoarticular infections (which can cause serious sequelae such as septic arthritis); or osteomyelitis, which can injure the growth cartilage totally or partially.
You can also include in this group some mechanical problems such as dysplasia of hip development, poor evolution of Perthes disease (femoral head necrosis), late diagnosis coupled with inadequate treatment of epiphysiolysis of adolescent femoral head, or joint injuries that damage cartilage articulate.
Microtrauma as a cause of osteoarthritis
Microtrauma are small and occur continuously, which could cause the development of articular cartilage lesions that if not avoided or cushioned, probably lead to osteoarthritis. Articular cartilaginous lesions can also be favored by ligament, meniscal and chronic overload injuries.
In these cases, a early diagnosis and proper treatment, in children who practice certain sports. It is therefore necessary to avoid uncontrolled sports, and in case of trauma, the family's collaboration in the face of treatment that could consist of surgical intervention, according to Dr. Rosend Ullot of the Spanish Society of Pediatric Orthopedics.
Is there a correlation between certain sports and joint risks?
A priori no, but in case they are practiced incorrectly, football stands out (the most injured parts are the medial collateral ligament, the menisci and the anterior cruciate ligament); basketball (injuries affect the ankle and knee by torsion or lateral force application); and rhythmic and sports gymnastics, where micro traumatisms in the lower limbs constitute the most frequent injuries. These traumatisms would be osteochondrosis (joint cartilage injury) and the calcareous process (heel growth cartilage overload).
Clarifies Dr. Ullot that children have growth cartilage that can be injured and lead to the appearance of angulations, "which must be corrected so that the joints are not affected", "Injuries in habitual life and especially in the practice of sport can have serious consequences".
From all this it is extracted that we must banish the idea of osteoarthritis as a disease associated exclusively with old age, against which there is no possible solution, and think that it is possible to prevent it from childhood.
Images | MunicipioPinas, U.S. Army Via | Europa Press On Peques and More | Very useful recommendations to prevent sports injuries in children, Bones are for a lifetime, do we know how to take care of those of our children? How to care for the diet of sports children?
