Purpose: To describe evaluation and physical therapy treatment for an athlete who is male and 13 years old with healing bilateral rectus femoris avulsion fractures. Summary of Key Points: Fractures of the anterior inferior iliac spine may be linked to poor abdominal stability in soccer athletes who are male and an adolescent. The development and use of an abdominal stability screening tool could be an efficient and effective way to determine fracture risk and guide prevention programs. Conclusions and Recommendations for Clinical Practice: Following 8 weeks of conservative physical therapy treatment, the athlete met all goals and returned to pain-free soccer activities without residual impairments. Four months following discharge, he reported full participation in soccer competition without complications. This case illustrates that abdominal weakness is a potential risk factor for anterior inferior iliac spine avulsion fracture. Screening for abdominal weakness and incorporating preventative programs into training regimens is recommended to prevent anterior inferior iliac spine injuries in this population.

To investigate if children treated with topical corticosteroids have a significantly shorter height than the height of children not treated with corticosteroids and to see if corticosteroids affect the ability for treated children to meet growth potential defined as midparental height. Parents of patients attending the UNC's Dermatology clinic completed the survey. The patient's height and siblings' heights were measured by staff. Parents' heights were self reported as were the child's diagnosis of atopic dermatitis, and duration of use of corticosteroids. The patient's height was standardized using CDC charts. Additionally, the midparental height was calculated and standardized. The difference between present and predicted standardized heights was calculated; 151 surveys yielded data on 83 girls and 63 boys (ages 2-21 yrs). The standing height and the difference in standing height and midparental scores were not significantly different among: (i) children with and without atopic dermatitis; and (ii) children treated and not treated with corticosteroids. The overall height of children examined in this survey who were treated with topical corticosteroids appears to be unaffected.

We have observed that some children with facial hemangiomas of infancy have feeding difficulties coincident with periods of failure to thrive. We evaluated the early oral sensory and feeding experiences of four children with facial hemangiomas through medical record review and parental surveys to investigate their contribution to the patients' failure to thrive. All children with feeding irregularities experienced some degree of oral sensory impairment and required early oral sensory intervention, but there were varying reports of difficulty or delay in the development of oral feeding. The nature of these difficulties is discussed. Infants with complicated facial hemangiomas with perioral and airway involvement may be at higher risk for feeding and oral sensory problems. We recommend close monitoring for failure to thrive and early evaluation by speech or occupational therapists.

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