Examination of the musculoskeletal system in children – a simple approach

Children commonly present to paediatricians with musculoskeletal symptoms, often in association with a variety of acute and chronic conditions. Paediatricians have an important role to assess and triage patients and refer them to specialist care to optimize outcome. The need for paediatricians to improved their musculoskeletal clinical skills is explained and an approach to clinical assessment, with a description of a simple validated screening examination (pGALS), is described.