Knee pain at 3

My 3 ½ year old has complained of intermittent knee pain for at least a year.  It started only at night now it’s during the day as well. However, she can go 3 weeks with symptoms. She had no trauma or swelling and Motrin helps. We have had a CBC, sed rate, bone scan, and 3 x-rays all of which was read normal until today the Doctor did the third x-ray which he said showed avascular necrosis of the patella. However he had never seen it in a child of her age. So he wants to do a CT and will call a pediatric ortho doctor and get back to me. Has any one else ever heard of this or know of any causes. Help!!

[Weaversgirl]

Id love to be able to tell you something helpful or anything of the sorts, but I have no clue. But I do wish you the best of luck and let me know what happens!

[1nana]

I do know that it is caused by a lack of blood supply to the bone (patella) and in turn the bone starts to die off.

[TonyaB]

Wow!  My 2 1/2 year old son will occassionally say his knee hurts but I usually just brush it off as him wanting some additional attention (which he gets).  Maybe I should take him a little more seriously!  Keep us posted with any thing you find out.  Good luck!

[hopeful thoughts]

wannabenana is right. Avascular necrosis means that the bone is dying due to a lack of blood supply. But I too have never seen a child that young with that problem at the knee. It usually happens in the hip. You might want to have them xray her hip as well because in children, hip pain is referred to the knee almost all the time. I would want to make sure it isn't a problem in both joints.