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Children's health

Knees keep giving way - 2 year old

35 replies

Emmarobbie · 12/02/2013 21:47

My 2yr old son has been having problems with his knees giving way, which either results in him falling to the floor or dipping down as he's walking. His childminder had mentioned it a couple of times, saying that he appeared to have weak legs and he'd be walking alongside another child in a buggy & he'd be there one minute & on the floor the next. I had never seen it happen and just put it down to him being clumsy as he rushes a lot and doesnt always look where he's going.

Last week i was getting him ready to go out & he tried to stand up and his knees just gave way, as though someone had swipped his leg from behind & he'd just buckle to the floor. He doesnt appear to be in any pain & can jump, run, kneel etc. I took him to the doctor but by the time we had got there, he seemed to have made a miraculous recovery & was running about. She still checked him over, said she had no concerns & it could be related to growing & to keep an eye on him, look for any patterns (such as does it happen when he's tired, been sitting, kneeling etc).

It happened a lot over the next 2-3 days and now approx 1 week later, seems to be happening a couple of times a day. He also seems to get 'twisty' legs when he's standing sometimes, a bit like how he used to squirm when he was potting training & needed a wee. Again, he appears to be in no pain.

I would appreciate any help that you can offer. Have any of your children had this issue? Do you know of any kids that had/have this?

I look forward to hearing any suggestions or support.

Thanks
Emma

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MrsMushroom · 13/02/2013 08:35

I would go back to the GP and maybe ask for a referral to an orthopedic specialist...or at least a pediatrician. He couldn't make a miraculous recovery because it's an on off thing isn't it....the GP must not have seen any muscular problems....or injuries....but he's still doing it and you're going to worry every time you see it. It could just be that he's growing and there's a bit of a weakness there but you'll not rest tiil you know.

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DeWe · 13/02/2013 09:18

There can be a virus that temporarily does this. But to my knowledge it happens for about 24-48 hours then clears, but there could be something like that.

If it happens again, if you can get video evidence it will help, but I would push for referal.

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cestlavielife · 13/02/2013 12:20

video if you can and record in a notebook every instance.
ask childminder too to do this and note when it happens.

go back to gp and ask for a referral to a paediatrician for assessment and tests. you want to rule out any major muscle disorder.

is he very flexible? hypermobile joints can cause clumisness falling over - and that can impact to a degree but physio can help.

but you want to rule out muscle conditions.

gp or paed can run muscle function tests for example. eg blood test for creatinine kinase - if is is extremely high it is a sign of muscle disease and would need further testing

you need to look at things like
?The way your child stands.
?The way your child walks. Children with muscle disorders often have a typical style of walking, which is sometimes described as ?waddling?. Later on, they may tend to stand and walk on the front part of their foot, with their heels off the ground.
?Whether your child has an exaggerated inward curve of their lower back. The medical term for this is lordosis. It is also sometimes called ?sway back?.
?Whether your child has an outward or sideways curvature of their spine, known as scoliosis.
?Whether your child?s calves and other leg muscles look large compared with other muscles that may be poorly developed.

if you can see any of those then highlight them to gp

the other thing is to check if he loses consciousness at all when he drops. does he need to be roused? does he stop for a second or is alert and responsive ? let gp know which it is

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cestlavielife · 13/02/2013 12:26

also how does he get from sitting to standing? does he use his hands to assist? or just gets up like any other child?
Your child might also find it difficult to stand up from sitting on the floor. They may use what is known as the Gower's manoeuvre to do this. The Gower's manoeuvre is where a child stands up by:

?facing the floor
?placing their feet wide apart
?lifting their bottom first
?using their hands to ?walk up? their legs (placing their hands first on their knees, then on their thighs)

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sannaville · 13/02/2013 19:35

Just to reassure you my dd did this at around 28 months for several weeks. She's now 3.5 and hasn't done it since. I wonder if it was a virus that persisted for a while

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Emmarobbie · 15/02/2013 05:28

Thank you all for your thoughts & comments. It hasn't been as bad for the past couple of days but there is definitely some sort of weakness there as even if he doesn't fall, his knees are still dipping randomly during the day.
He doesn't appear to get up unusually or using his hands & no curved back or unusual legs that I can see.
He's got another virus/temperature at the moment (he's had several recently) & I'm 1 week away from having another baby so I thin I'll monitor it for the moment, keeping track on how often it happens etc & then go back to for a referral in a couple of weeks.

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Sarahd26 · 31/07/2015 23:06

My son is going thru same thing n docs see just keep and eye on it now he is worse even fell into a door at my Nan's with no worming it was just his knee now it is his knee and ankle on same leg that is giving way and then he is in pain at night I was up all last night with him complaining of pain n balling his eyes out I feel so helpless as nothing his taking pain away as I rub his leg it hurting more then goes then comes back today his knee and ankle gave way 4 times in a short period of time

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jackiechivers · 08/09/2015 19:23

Hi there Emma,
Just wondered what happened with your little boys legs after all?
My daughter has just turned 2 and everything you have written in your post applies to her too. I'm quite worried and not sure what to do! I hope you get to read this, please let me know.
Many thanks

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Abch · 21/01/2017 02:55

Hi, my 16 months old having same issue for the past 3 days. How is your kid now?

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kempymoo · 26/07/2017 07:04

Hi - did any of you get to the bottom of this? I spent last night in A&E with my 2yo son who suddenly couldn't bear weight on his legs without them giving way. They did lots of X-rays and couldn't see anything wrong and basically told me he's attention seeking - but I know he isn't. Firstly I don't think it would actually occur to him to make up something so elaborate - he's only two - but also, the shock and fear on his face when they buckle is definitely genuine. I'm not really sure what to do next?

Many thanks

Amy

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Bandc2014 · 14/08/2017 20:54

Hey all just wondering has anyone gotten to the bottom of this? I have a 3 year old son who is going through the same thing and it has been on going for about a year. Finally got a gp referral so just waiting on appointment coming through now. I have a history of joint hypermobility which has caused my kneecap to dislocate quite a few times now and doctor seemed very concerned when I told him my history and how it may be linked to my son's weak knees. Also he has started to twist in bed at night for about an hour so i am also exploring the link between the clumsiness and restless leg syndrome??

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Kristiac90 · 09/01/2018 02:00

Hello did anyone ever figure out the cause of this? My 15 month old nephew is now experiencing this. Please help.

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Sljcasteel · 12/09/2018 03:56

Any updates??? My 18 month old is experiencing this

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Moyan · 20/09/2018 09:06

Hi all,

My 3 year old’s knees have been giving way for about 1 year now. It’s sporadic & like you guys & seems to rectify in a day or so making it difficult to diagnose. No pain either.

We’ve had a pelvic X-ray which was deemed fine. Although one side looks a little rotated to me (I’m a Myotherapist so familiar with anatomy) & I can see the crease of her glute on her LHS has two creases where the RHS has one. It’s certainly not symmetrical.

However, I work with many clients who are asymmetrical & they’re fine & pain free.

We’ve taken her to a kids osteo & chiro but no one can confirm anything. I feel like we really have to search hard to find someone who is actually familiar with the condition.

And reading this thread - there’s obviously something going on with our kids! I don’t think it’s serious & I think that they’ll most likely grow out of it but I hate seeing my little girl move around without confidence.

I’d just love some answers.

But I wanted to reply to this to say, I remember my knees buckling as a kid (8 years old). No pain. Now, I run, lift weights and am strong & confident in my body. And no, my knees don’t buckle!

My pelvis, like my daughters is asymmetrical.

I’m sure our kids are fine. They’re growing at a rapid rate, they may have slightly more joint laxity than other kids. The point is, they seem to come back into their normal gait, that’s a good thing - hard to diagnose - but a good thing.

If I find a professional who can actually diagnose what’s going on I’ll post it here. We’re on the march!

Good luck guys but don’t fret.

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lorlin · 19/10/2020 00:04

any updates on the status of your child? My grandson is going through this and we’re worried. I hope your son is doing well.Thank you!

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aamaa · 26/10/2020 06:18

Any update on this? my 18 month old is doing exactly the same. Sad

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MumMel0402 · 21/03/2021 16:04

Gosh reading this thread my 2 year old is going through what sounds like exactly the same. Knee giving way regularly which causes falls. But we’ve had two instances where he is complaining of pain and really upset, can’t weight bare at all so had to be carried everywhere. If anyone got any idea of what this is/was I would be so grateful got a Doctor appointment in 2 days and I need all the help I can get not to just be dismissed.

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Jaw82 · 16/05/2021 13:40

Has anyone had a diagnosis for their child yet?

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aamaa · 16/05/2021 16:12

@Jaw82

Has anyone had a diagnosis for their child yet?

My son, now 25 months old, doesn't do it anymore. He simply grew out of it. Maybe it is just a phase. Hope this helps.
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Aimcharl · 01/06/2021 14:05

My nearly 3 year old son has been doing this now for just over 1 year! he has had x-rays which came back normal! we are now under a paedeactric neurologist, he will be having a MRI of his brain and spine to see if we can get any answers! it’s so scary i hate it 😥

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Skysue · 05/06/2021 00:23

Baby 21 month old. And maybe since 15 months or earlier she would stumble often, I excused it as beginning walking stages. However it has become obvious now that something is strangely wrong. I witnessed on three incident where she just fell while standing as if she was pushed or pushed behind the knees. I got it on camera where she just fell and she cried as if it discomfort. That same day about two hours later she actually struggled to get up from sitting position on the floor while trying to hold on to the cubboard. It was a very rainy day I noted. But has any one gotten any official medical reason for the seemly weak knees.

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undercoverhero74 · 01/09/2021 22:48

@Aimcharl how did the MRI go? My 2.5 year old has the same problem, his legs just give way for no reason and it's starting to really worry me. Took him to A&E a couple of weeks ago and they frayed his hips but couldn't find anything wrong.
I really don't know what my next steps are. I was hoping someone on this thread would of had a diagnosis or update by now

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undercoverhero74 · 01/09/2021 22:49

X-rayed his hips 🤦🏼‍♀️ I hate autocorrect

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Jaw82 · 01/09/2021 23:25

My son is nearly 2 now and it is happening less and less. His knees buckling seemed to change into a bit of a ‘monkey’ walk instead, but he is absolutely fine. I don’t have any advise other than I think my little boy is growing out is it. Good luck xx

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Aimcharl · 02/09/2021 02:36

Hi @undercoverhero74 So my son is now 3 and it has not happened for at least 4months now! we ended up going through the peadeatric neurologist who booked him for a MRI, EEG and a few other tests to be done in hospital! he was suppose to be having them done in the next few weeks but i have since put them on hold as he seems to be fine at the moment! i’m hoping it’s something he has grown out of 🙏🏻 if it happens again i’d say i’ll go ahead with these tests but for now i don’t want to put him through that if i don’t have to! he did have an x-ray on his legs and hips which found nothing! give your son a bit of time and hopefully he too will grow out of it! i understand how worrying it is i couldn’t even sleep thinking what could be wrong! let me know how you go and sending positive vibes your way 💗

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