Rickets and Foot Disorders

There are a few deformities that can present in children that deal with the lower limbs. One of those is Rickets. This is a softening of bones in children due to either a deficiency or impaired metabolism of vitamin D, phosphorus, or calcium. The most common cause is vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is needed for your body to properly absorb calcium from your gut. We get vitamin D when the sunlight hits our skin and produces it. While this disease can occur in adults, the majority of cases are children suffering from very severe malnutrition. When this occurs in adults it is known as osteomalacia.

A toddler with rickets will have legs that are bowed outward, while older children will present with knock-knees. There is also bone pain or tenderness, dental problems, muscle weakness and a tendency for fractures. Lab results could show hypocalcemia, which means low levels of calcium in the blood. The symptoms of associated pain and fractures are what help your podiatrist set apart this disease from a structural deformity like genu valgum, or tibial varum, which is just the position your leg bones have grown from birth. Blood work also helps confirm the diagnosis.

More cases have been reported in Britain lately due to the inability of children to make vitamin D. But these kids weren’t starved or poor. The sunlight was not reaching their skin due to the persistent use of sunblock. This wasn’t allowing any sunlight to reach their skin, or they were spending too much time indoors with the TV, computer, etc. Treatment for rickets depends on the cause. Treatment for nutritional rickets includes vitamin D supplementation and a diet high in calcium. The earlier these children are diagnosed, the better. If the disease becomes too advanced, the bony deformities can be permanent. For questions about this or any other childhood foot deformity, come by and see Dr.Grimm or Dr.Pattison.