The team of orthopedic traumatologists and rehabilitation specialists at the Children’s Medicine Center successfully treats 4-year-old Arthur with a congenital developmental disorder
The boy from Drohobych district has a right thigh shortened by 4.5 centimeters.
After examination of the child and additional tests, a decision was made to undergo surgical treatment. Given the pronounced degree of shortening of the hip, the first surgery was performed to lengthen the limb, and an osteotomy (crossing) of the hip was performed. Later, from the 6th day after the operation, the child underwent dosed lengthening of the hip by 1 millimeter per day for 2 months.
“Congenital limb shortening in children is the most difficult to correct and lengthen, because this pathology always has a problem not only with the shortened bone or bones, but also with soft tissue problems – degenerated and shortened muscles, tendons, ligaments around the joints, poorly responding to lengthening of the vessels and nerves surrounding the bone. Therefore, these children almost always develop contractures (restriction of joint movements), pain, and impaired walking when lengthening by more than 3 cm. The psychological peculiarities of childhood are also superimposed on all this, which complicate the process of treatment and rehabilitation,” said Professor Oleksandr Korolkov, head of the Clinic of Neuroorthopedics, Traumatology and Rehabilitation of Children.
Arthur was no exception, as during the lengthening process he had restricted movements in his knee joint. So while Arthur is wearing the external fixation apparatus, the specialists of the Acute Conditions Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation Clinic for Children are working with him.
“As soon as we started classes, and this was after the surgery, the boy could not walk at all, could not sit or stand. And now he is walking on his own. At first, we worked on verticalization, developing movements in the lower limb. The second stage of rehabilitation was already better, we started working on walking and knee extension. During the third stage, we noted a very good result – muscle strength has increased, we are working on improving walking, honing everything. After the apparatus is removed, a new course of rehabilitation will be started,” emphasized the Center’s physical therapist Yevhen Pavlyk.
The boy is under constant medical supervision. In general, the process of treating this pathology has many stages and lasts until the child’s growth is complete.
Doctors once again emphasize that parents should seek medical attention in time.