ask: Toddler limping and knee or ankle "giving out" without pain, redness or swelling. What could it be?
My friend's 2 year old was playing on some slippery surface (a "sprinkler park"), and fell. She was not concerned (2 year olds fall all the time, and he had no visible scratches) at first, but when he would try to walk, his knee (or hip or ankle?) would kind of "buckle" underneath him. He is not in any pain; no reddness or swelling either. He is jumping and squatting, but walking strangely. The most noticeable was an hour later: he went to kick a ball with his right leg, while standing on his left leg...and his left leg just "gave out". We can't notice any deformities or anything.
We called the nurse-on-call after-hours (it's a Sunday), and were told to do the "wait and see". Give him ibuprofen if it swells. He is eating and sleeping fine. If he still has trouble tomorrow morning, my friend will take him to the doctor.
Just wondering if this has happened to anyone else? Nurse said if strain, sprain or dislocation, there would be pain and he would not voluntarily move the injured leg. He is not doing this for attention, so can rule that out, too. What injury could this be, without pain?
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Similar situation with my daughter. Waited and the limp got worse. We just had X-rays done and it looks like a fibula fracture.
June 16, 2009 - 4:54pmThis Comment
That is exactly what we were afraid of---a fracture. The pediatrician books say that at this young age, the bones are actually more fragile than the ligaments surrounding them.
My friend waited, as instructed, and the next day their son was fine. No pain, swelling, redness---no symptoms at all. He was kicking the ball with both feet, and the opposite leg (the non-kicking leg) was holding up. No limp, buckling, "giving in" or anything.
Very strange that one day a knee/hip/ankle could "give out" and the next day there is no sign that anything was ever wrong. It's difficult to be a parent--- feeling like you are over-reacting at times, but as the above comment said, they had a similar situation with an actual fracture. I'm still curious what it was that my friends were witnessing with their son, but I guess he will have more bumps and bruises along the way during his childhood, so we will just move on!
Anon---how is your daughter now? What treatment did she need? Was there pain, redness or swelling, or other symptoms? Did she have a traumatic injury, or just a simple, "everyday" fall or slip?
June 16, 2009 - 8:24pmMy son is experiencing this also...He is 4 now but when he was 2 his knee would buckle and he would drop to floor. it would not hurt but it would only be temperary and no symptoms the next day. It would happen every now and then. well it hasnt happened for over a year until yesterday it started again when he was playing outside in kid pool and slip n slide. And continues today. I am gonna call doctor but wondered if you found anything out.
August 10, 2009 - 9:27amMy 20 month old daughter experienced the same problem this last Sunday. I dropped her off in the nursery at church and when I returned to pick her up they asked if she had been having trouble walking. I said no and then watched her walk around the room and sure enough every couple steps she tried to take her left leg would give out on her and she would fall to the ground. I took her to my mom's house and she did the same thing but the longer she was on her feet the more sturdy she got. We went to the zoo that afternoon and she rode in the stroller most of the time or was held but when she did try to walk she had the same problem. We woke up Monday morning and she was perfectly fine, running around jumping, squatting and climbing as usual. Very strange. The only thing I could come up with is that sitting for a period of time might have made that leg go to sleep. She had just rode in the carseat for over an hour before we got to church and then in her stroller most of the day at the zoo. I thought maybe her legs hanging over the edge of the chair or stroller might have cut off nerves in her legs.... I just don't know. And she didn't complain of any pain even when we pinched around on her knee and ankle.
September 8, 2009 - 12:23pmHi, Anon:
How is your daughter doing? Has she been checked out by your doctor, or has she seemed to improve?
September 8, 2009 - 6:21pmHi,my 18mo son fell down yesterday and his condition is exactly like your daughter. I'm very worried about him, visited the acupuncture but the dr said nothing serious with him. When he woke up this morning,the limping seems more obvious but after walking for a while,it got better,it comes back again wheneve he rest for a while. May I know how's your daughter now? Any treatment for this? Thanks a lot!!
February 23, 2011 - 9:02pmDid you take your son to a medical doctor (pediatrician)? You said you took him to the acupuncture doctor (I'm not sure if this person is an M.D.), and acupuncturists do not diagnose conditions.
If you are still concerned about your son's symptoms, please call his pediatrician for proper diagnosis and let us know how he is doing!
February 24, 2011 - 11:40amYes I took him to his pd just now,she examined my son but as the limping seems more obvious after he wakes from his sleep so she don't see much symptom in him just now. She suspect he might be having some kinda inflammation in his joint since he is having cold n cough and Nurofen is prescribed to him. She asked me to observe for another 2 days.
February 24, 2011 - 10:30pmMy daughter just had a similar situation. She is 17 months old and she had just rolled off the bed. She did not hit the ground hard but as we got her up to walk her knee would buckle. We thought it might just be us overreacting but she did this two more times after this. She is not in any pain what so ever and we felt around her knee and pushed with no response from her. We are trying to keep her off her feet until we hear back from a doctor. It is hard to just wait and see when it concerns your kids.
August 17, 2010 - 5:19pmThis almost exact situation happened to me. My 22 month old fell while in a jumping thing at a party. She started limping and her knee started to give out and she would fall directly to the floor. Even though we have not called the doctor I am very concerned about her having injured her knee in a more serious way. She walks around fine but if we watch closely you can tell she is limping. I have no idea what to do I am about to call the pediatrician see what they recommend me to do.
September 6, 2010 - 7:27pm