Patologìâ (Apr 2017)
Conservative treatment of congenital false joint of shin in newborns and infants
Abstract
Congenital false joint of shin occurs in 1 case per 28 000 - 190 000 live births, but it is hard-to-treat and disabling disease. Objective: Improving treatment outcomes, reducing the number of surgical interventions for the treatment of congenital false joint of shin. Materials and Methods. The method is carried out using staged plaster casts with the gradual correction of deformities. When axis of the leg approximates to the normal one, axial load is added. First, it is done by tapping on the heel. When the child was 7-8 months old he was put on the legs and taught to walk. The plaster bandage is replaced by "Scotch cast" and "soft cast" bandage. The treatment lasted up to reaching of clinical effect – correction of shin deformation and absence of pathological mobility. Clinical effect must be confirmed by roentgenography which must demonstrate filling of false joint zone with bone tissue and restoration of intramedullary canal. During all the period of treating alternate courses of electrophoresis with calcium chloride, medical mud extracts and magnetic therapy are conducted. In the period from 1995 till 2015 in the Regional Zaporizhzhia Children Clinical Hospital 4 children (6 shins) aged from 1 to 7 months with false joint of shin were treated using proposed method. Results and discussion. All 4 children (6 shins) treated in clinic with proposed conservative method showed filling of false joint zone with bone tissue, restoration of intramedullary canal and significant extension of axis of the shin. The load on the leg in early terms results in compression of bone fragments (as in compression-distraction osteosynthesis), magnetic therapy, electrophoresis with calcium chloride and medical mud extracts promote active functioning of the muscles that improves regional blood supply and improves osteogenesis. Conclusions. Using the proposed method of treatment of congenital false joint of shins in newborns and infants can allow avoiding surgical intervention and disability of the child. The problem of congenital shin false joint treatment in children is not fully settled and needs further study and solution.
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