The Directorate General of Healthcare Programs of the SCS has led this update, which seeks to standardize the management of the most common orthopedic and traumatological pathologies in individuals under fifteen years of age. The guide establishes clear criteria for referral from health centers to specialized hospital services in Orthopedic and Traumatological Surgery and Rehabilitation, based on scientific evidence.
The document, initially developed in 2021, has benefited from the collaboration of the Canary Islands Society of Orthopedic and Traumatological Surgery and the Canary Islands Association of Primary Care Pediatrics and the Canary Society of Extrahospital Pediatrics. Its scope covers all healthcare professionals attending the population under fifteen years of age and their families.
The guide features a structured format with tables containing three key sections: diagnosis, referral, and observations. Additionally, it incorporates a color-coded system to indicate the urgency of the referral: green for normal cases, orange for preferential referrals, and red for urgent ones.
Among the most frequent pathologies covered are developmental dysplasia of the hip, foot deformities (flatfoot and cavus foot), lower limb alignment abnormalities, bone tumors, altered gait patterns, transient hip synovitis, femoral head epiphyseolysis, and spinal deformities such as adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, kyphosis, or back pain.
For each pathology, the guide details diagnostic criteria, necessary tests, and the indication for referral to the appropriate care level, whether it be Outpatient Clinics for Orthopedic and Traumatology or Rehabilitation, or the reference hospital's Emergency department.
