Musculoskeletal deformities were diagnosed in 1.8 million children and adolescent health care visits in 2012, of which 943,800 had a primary diagnosis of musculoskeletal deformity. Among the total with any diagnoses of deformity, 111,800 children and adolescents were hospital discharges, with 30,100 hospitalizations for a primary diagnosis of a musculoskeletal infection. (Reference Table 7.1.1 PDF CSV and Table 7.1.2 PDF CSV)

Females had a slightly higher rate of overall deformity diagnoses with hospitalization, and accounted for 55% of primary diagnosis hospitalizations. Children under the age of 1 year had a high rate of musculoskeletal deformity for any diagnosis with hospitalization (41%), but accounted for only 5% of primary hospitalizations. Primary diagnosis of musculoskeletal deformity with hospitalization increased with age.

Musculoskeletal deformity as a primary diagnosis accounted for 6% of hospitalizations for any musculoskeletal condition diagnosis, but only 0.5% of hospitalizations for any health care reasons for children and adolescents age 20 years and under. (Reference Table 7.3 PDF CSV)

Deformity of the spine represented the largest share of hospitalizations (42%), followed by the lower extremity at 29% and upper extremity at 18%.