Typical Pediatric Musculoskeletal Development

In order to understand how to appropriately plan interventions for children with gross motor delays, physical therapists must first understand typical development. In this course, the typical development of the lower extremity (muscle, bone, and cartilage) will be reviewed. This will include a discussion of developmental stages in which genu valgum or genu varum and in-toeing are considered developmentally appropriate. Screening tests for femoral torsion and tibial torsion will be demonstrated. Normative data for lower extremity alignment will be reviewed with an emphasis on when to refer to an orthopedic physician.