Battered child syndrome simulating myositis.

The battered child syndrome is not an unusual problem to be encountered in a clinical orthopedic practice. The manifestations in abused children may be varied and many, necessitating that orthopedists be familiar with the ways in which affected children present to reduce the unfortunate consequences that occur when abuse is not initially recognized. Our purpose in reporting the case of an abused child is to attract the attention of the orthopedic surgeon, who may be the initial physician to see a battered child, to an unusual presentation of this syndrome which simulated myositis. The association of myositis with battered child syndrome has not been previously encountered in the orthopedic literature.