Parental concern about a child's posture, leg alignment or gait are frequent presenting complaints in both general practice and pediatric orthopaedic clinics. It is important for all physicians who treat children to have an understanding of normal skeletal growth and development and the benign variants that may be encountered.

New patients do not usually arrive with a pre-determined diagnosis. Instead, you need to be able to analyze a case starting with the presenting complaint. In a pediatric practice, this is often articulated by the parents and informed by their particular knowledge, beliefs and experiences.

How might parents express their concerns about a child with abnormal posture or gait? What underlying concerns might they have? List some common presenting complaints that might accompany some of the conditions discussed in the references you have read.

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