Pediatric orthopedic conditions in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease: a literature review.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To provide the pediatrician with a comprehensive overview of the orthopedic considerations and potential issues in a child with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease. CMT is not one disease but rather a myriad of genetic and biochemical processes that manifest in a final common pathway of physical impairment with cardinal orthopedic elements.

RECENT FINDINGS: This review incorporates the most current research on CMT, including its orthopedic elements, and the opinion of specialists in pediatric orthopedics specifically in the areas of foot and ankle, hip dysplasia and spinal deformity.

SUMMARY: This article provides a framework for pediatricians to understand the complex and variable natural history of CMT with regard to neurologically produced musculoskeletal changes.