ENGEL:
Engel has arthrogryoposis and bilateral club foot. You can see here that he is wearing a foot abduction bar attached to his shoes that is similar to the Denis Browne bar for the non-surgical management of club foot. The bar is usually worn for 6-12 months at night to treat rotation deformities.
Engel has decreased ability to extend his left wrist due to congenital joint stiffness and muscle weakness. Surgery chosen for Engel was a dorsal carpal wedge osteotomy to improve his left wrist extension for functional tasks. He was placed in a cast post op. Therapy was continued for his right UE while in the hospital. Engel was used to fine motor and reaching during play therapy. Engel told the therapist that he liked the stretchy ball because he could stretch it like the therapists stretched him. He had a very large vocabulary for only 3 years old, not unusual for children with arthrogryposis.
Time to Play the Brain Game:
Q) An osteotomy is a surgical procedure where a curved or deformed bone is lengthened. True or False?
A) False An osteotomy is a surgical procedure where a curved or deformed bone is broken and reset. Internal pins or plates are used to hold or guide the bone into the correct position and proper alignment.