Rheumatology

Abstract

"Musculoskeletal pains in children are common, affecting 10%–20% of schoolchildren.1 In a recent school-based survey of adolescents in British Columbia, musculoskeletal pains were the second most common problem (after acne), and over 5% of these adolescents had limb pain of such severity that they believed that they had arthritis.2 Most of these pains are not the result of a serious underlying disease, although they can be a cause of significant morbidity. However, some children with musculoskeletal pains will have conditions that are either life-threatening or potentially crippling. The variety and relative frequencies of musculoskeletal conditions seen by pediatric rheumatologists have recently been documented."