[Rickets due to vitamin D deficiency--a reminder].
Vitamin D deficiency, because of prophylactic supplementation, has become a rare disorder in Switzerland and therefore is usually not considered in the clinical routine. In the few cases we could diagnose, the affected children either have been of East-Mediterranean origin with insufficient nutrition and vitamin supplementation, or were raised in families who, for philosophical or other reasons, refuse any "non-biological" measure including vitamin supplementation. For the orthopedic surgeon the challenging task is to screen out of the many children presented with physiologic gait "disturbance", bow-legs or flat feet the few children with true disorders. An important point is the history of vitamin D prophylaxis; in selected cases X-ray and laboratory findings are indicated. Finally the response to the treatment with vitamin D will confirm the diagnosis of rickets due to vitamin D deficiency.