June 26, 2020
Orthopedic impairment is defined as a child’s disability relating to a bone, joint, or muscle, that is severe enough to directly affect the child’s educational performance. It can be caused by many different factors including genetic abnormalities, disorders such as cerebral palsy, or an injury that has caused a missing limb or has impaired a muscle.
The extent to which a child’s education is affected can vary greatly, depending on the level of impairment. Many children with an orthopedic impairment do still have normal cognitive abilities, so these children require mainstream education wherever possible and in the least restrictive environment as appropriate.
Causes of Orthopedic Impairment
Some of the main reasons why children have orthopedic impairments include the following:
Musculoskeletal Disorders
Orthopedic disorders include defects or disorders of the bones and muscles, such as a limb deficiency. A child may be missing part or all of a limb due to trauma, disease, or a birth disorder such as clubfoot.
Clubfoot is a fairly common birth defect in which a baby is born with their foot or feet pointing downward and inward, with the soles of the feet facing inward toward one another, due to shortened tendons. In about 50% of all cases of clubfoot, both feet are affected. Early treatment for clubfoot is recommended before the baby is walking.
Neuromotor Impairments
A neuromotor impairment involves the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). The impairment affects the child’s ability to move, feel, or use certain parts of the body. Spina bifida, cerebral palsy, and spinal injuries are types of neuromotor impairments.
The most common motor and movement disability in children is cerebral palsy. This actually refers to a group of permanent conditions that affect movement and coordination, and it can develop before, during, or soon after birth. Symptoms are usually not obvious at birth but become more apparent within 2-3 years.
Degenerative Diseases
Degenerative diseases such as muscular dystrophy affect motor movement, and they are characterized by the structure or function of a body tissue progressively worsening. Muscular dystrophy refers to a group of genetic disorders that cause a loss of muscle mass and progressive weakness over time. There are treatments available to help many people manage their muscular dystrophy.
Orthopedic Impairments from Other Causes
An orthopedic impairment can also result from other factors such as an amputation, injury due to an accident, or severe burns that have resulted in damage to the bones and muscles.
Joint deformities such as developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a birth defect resulting in the ball-and-socket joint not developing properly in babies and young children. This causes the hip joint to be loose and, in some cases, leads to hip dislocation. If left untreated, it can prevent the hip joint from developing properly and lead to hip pain, reduced function, and osteoarthritis in the child.
Orthopedic Care in Little Rock, Arkansas
If you have an orthopedic impairment or a musculoskeletal issue that is impacting your quality of life, contact board-certified orthopedic surgeon Dr. William Hefley for an evaluation and to discuss your treatment options. Dr. Hefley treats a broad range of orthopedic conditions and injuries, and he specializes in treating shoulder, hip, and knee conditions.
While Dr. Hefley is highly experienced in performing arthroscopic and minimally invasive joint replacement surgery, he also uses an array of nonsurgical modalities – including stem cell and PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy – to treat orthopedic injuries and conditions. The medical staff at Bowen Hefley Orthopedics is here to improve your quality of life and get you moving again.
If you would like more information about our services, or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Hefley at one of our convenient locations, call us today at(800) 336-2412, or you can use our convenient online appointment request form. We look forward to seeing you here!
FAQs
Orthopedic impairment is defined as a child's disability relating to a bone, joint, or muscle, that is severe enough to directly affect the child's educational performance.
What is an orthopedic impairment? ›
According to the federal Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), an orthopedic impairment is defined as a bone-, joint-, or muscle-related disability that is so severe that it negatively affects a child's educational performance.
What is an orthopedic impairment quizlet? ›
An orthopedic impairment is defined as. physical disability that occurs from congenital anomalies, diseases, or other causes that adversely affect a child s educational performance.
What does orthopedic mean problem disease or _________? ›
: marked by or affected with a skeletal deformity, disorder, or injury. an orthopedic condition. people with orthopedic problems.
What parts of the body are affected by orthopedic impairments? ›
Orthopedic impairments are described as injuries or disorders of the skeletal system and the associated muscles, joints, and ligaments.
What are three examples of impairment? ›
Examples of impairments include blindness, deafness, loss of sight in an eye, paralysis of a limb, amputation of a limb; mental retardation, partial sight, loss of speech, mutism.
What is an example of an impairment condition? ›
Impairment in a person's body structure or function, or mental functioning; examples of impairments include loss of a limb, loss of vision or memory loss. Activity limitation, such as difficulty seeing, hearing, walking, or problem solving.
What is the federal idea definition of orthopedic impairment? ›
An orthopedic impairment is defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as “a severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child's educational performance.” IDEA specifies that this term “includes impairments caused by a congenital anomaly [birth defects], impairments caused by disease ( ...
Which of the following conditions can lead to an orthopedic impairment? ›
They may include conditions such as spinal cord injury, paralysis, cerebral palsy, severe forms of arthritis, polio/post polio, spinal bifida, orthopedic injury, or amputation, later stages of AIDS, stroke, and muscular dystrophy.
What defines an orthopedic disorder? ›
Orthopedic disorders include defects or disorders of the bones and muscles, such as a limb deficiency. A child may be missing part or all of a limb due to trauma, disease, or a birth disorder such as clubfoot.
Lower back pain is one of the most common orthopedic issues. Almost everyone experiences back pain at some time in life. Often, it is mild and goes away after some time.
What is the definition of an orthopedic? ›
: a branch of medicine concerned with the correction or prevention of deformities, disorders, or injuries of the skeleton and associated structures (such as tendons and ligaments)
What is orthopedic damage? ›
What Is Orthopedic Trauma? Orthopedic trauma typically refers to an injury caused by some external force, such as a severe fall, a serious accident, or even a violent attack. These injuries occur in the musculoskeletal system, including bones, cartilage, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons of the body.
What are the orthopedic impairment problems? ›
Orthopedic impairment refers to a physical disability that negatively impacts a child's academic performance. The impairment can be congenital, such as spina bifida, or acquired after birth, for example, caused by a disease or an injury.
What are the three types of orthopedic impairment? ›
These can be divided into three main areas: neuromotor impairments, degenerative diseases, and musculoskeletal disorders. The specific characteristics of an individual who has an orthopedic impairment will depend on the specific disease and its severity, as well as additional individual factors.
How to identify an orthopedic impairment? ›
Other factors that may indicate the presence of an orthopedic condition:
- Fever.
- Sweating.
- Intermittent or steady pain in joints that gets worse with activity.
- Pain with range of motion.
- Swelling or redness of joints.
- Scraping or crunching sound when joints move.
- Can't move joints comfortably (limited range of motion)
Chronic orthopedic conditions, such as arthritis and bursitis, affect the musculoskeletal system – most commonly the bones or joints. They can cause pain and dysfunction, making even normal daily activities difficult.
What would be considered an orthopedic injury? ›
These injuries occur in the musculoskeletal system, including bones, cartilage, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons of the body. Common injuries include fractures, ligament tears, tendon tears, and joint dislocations. Orthopedic trauma can affect anyone.
What is considered a physical impairment? ›
According to the ADA Tool Kit, "a physical impairment is a physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement or anatomical loss impacting one or more body systems.
What is an impairment disability? ›
As traditionally used, impairment refers to a problem with a structure or organ of the body; disability is a functional limitation with regard to a particular activity; and handicap refers to a disadvantage in filling a role in life relative to a peer group.
