Osteotomy
Re: Osteotomy
Hi Corrine:
I don't know which doctor you are planning to use for the osteotomy, but you should get at least 3 opinions.
The osteotomy is a surgery designed to reposition the hand. It does not straighten the elbow. The bent elbow is due to two things: 1. position of the humeral head in the shoulder socket and 2. contracture of the biceps. So, if while you reading this you internally rotate your upper arm, you will see that your elbow naturally bends. This is what happens when there is internal rotation of the shoulder--a common effect of the injury (the pecs are not effected by bpi). And, when you add to that contracture of the biceps, also common, you get the standard bpi posturing.
So, why do an osteotomy? Well, if all efforts to put the shoulder together straighter (mod quad, tendon releases, botox, etc) fail and the arm is still very internally rotated, the osteotomy will turn the lower part of the arm into a more useful position. With the use of the osteotomy, you are "giving up" on the shoulder correction and turning to a bone correction of the lower extremity. If there is a contracture in the biceps, that can only be corrected by strengthening the triceps--not by using the osteotomy.
I know of a number of children (most are high school and college aged now!) who had the osteotomy and were thrilled with the results. The plate can be left in or removed, depending on the surgeon and the child.
Remember that you don't want go into this surgery quickly. It is permanent. If your daughter has pain inside the elbow, you might want to consider other reasons why it hurts. You might want to try massage therapy or some other modality before you go to a surgery that was designed to give better function. You don't say if your daughter has good function, only that she has pain.
And, I can not stress this enough... YOU MUST GET MULTIPLE OPINIONS. you might be pleasantly surprised that a doc notices something that can be dealt with WITHOUT surgery.
BPI is life changing.. not life threatening. So know that you have time to make this decision.
Does that help?
claudia
ps. not sure where you live, but we use Dr. Kozin at Shriners in Philly, Dr. Price in NYC and Dr. Waters at Children's Hospital Boston. Plus, we have taken her to California, she has seen Gilbert while he was here in the states... We also use Dr. Armenta in Houston.
I don't know which doctor you are planning to use for the osteotomy, but you should get at least 3 opinions.
The osteotomy is a surgery designed to reposition the hand. It does not straighten the elbow. The bent elbow is due to two things: 1. position of the humeral head in the shoulder socket and 2. contracture of the biceps. So, if while you reading this you internally rotate your upper arm, you will see that your elbow naturally bends. This is what happens when there is internal rotation of the shoulder--a common effect of the injury (the pecs are not effected by bpi). And, when you add to that contracture of the biceps, also common, you get the standard bpi posturing.
So, why do an osteotomy? Well, if all efforts to put the shoulder together straighter (mod quad, tendon releases, botox, etc) fail and the arm is still very internally rotated, the osteotomy will turn the lower part of the arm into a more useful position. With the use of the osteotomy, you are "giving up" on the shoulder correction and turning to a bone correction of the lower extremity. If there is a contracture in the biceps, that can only be corrected by strengthening the triceps--not by using the osteotomy.
I know of a number of children (most are high school and college aged now!) who had the osteotomy and were thrilled with the results. The plate can be left in or removed, depending on the surgeon and the child.
Remember that you don't want go into this surgery quickly. It is permanent. If your daughter has pain inside the elbow, you might want to consider other reasons why it hurts. You might want to try massage therapy or some other modality before you go to a surgery that was designed to give better function. You don't say if your daughter has good function, only that she has pain.
And, I can not stress this enough... YOU MUST GET MULTIPLE OPINIONS. you might be pleasantly surprised that a doc notices something that can be dealt with WITHOUT surgery.
BPI is life changing.. not life threatening. So know that you have time to make this decision.
Does that help?
claudia
ps. not sure where you live, but we use Dr. Kozin at Shriners in Philly, Dr. Price in NYC and Dr. Waters at Children's Hospital Boston. Plus, we have taken her to California, she has seen Gilbert while he was here in the states... We also use Dr. Armenta in Houston.
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Carolyn J
- Posts: 3424
- Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2004 1:22 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: LOBPI. I am 77 yrs old and never had a name for my injuries until 2004 when I found UBPN at age 66.
My injuries are: LOBPI on upper body and Cerebrael Palsy on the lower left extremities. The only intervention I've had is a tendon transplant from my left leg to my left foot to enable flexing t age 24 in 1962. Before that, my foot would freeze without notice on the side when wearing heels AND I always did wear them at work "to fit in" I also stuttered until around age 18-19...just outgrew it...no therapy for it. Also suffered from very very low self esteem; severe Depression and Anxiety attacks started at menopause. I stuffed emotions and over-compensated in every thing I did to "fit in" and be "invisible". My injuries were Never addressed or talked about until age 66. I am a late bloomer!!!!!
I welcome any and all questions about "My Journey".
There is NO SUCH THING AS A DUMB QUESTION.
Sharing helps to Heal. HUGS do too. - Location: Tacoma WA
- Contact:
Re: Osteotomy
Best advice ever for any surgery.YOU MUST GET MULTIPLE OPINIONS. you might be pleasantly surprised that a doc notices something that can be dealt with WITHOUT surgery.
Carolyn J
LOBPI/74++++ sometimes "bossy gramma"
