United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Has anyone's child gone from the capsulodesis splint into a dynamic splint for biceps contracture?

Dr. Nath has told us that he wants Bailey back in the Dyna Splint after the Calsulodesis splint comes off at night. We have seven weeks to go though. Her splint was different than Maias though. Bailey was splinted straight out to the side and her arm is fully supinated. Sorry this probably doesn't help much.
Jodi

Jodi - I guess I should have been more specific...
Maia will most probably go back into a dynamic splint as soon as she is done with this one but I was wondering about the weight of the splint holding the arm down and will this be bad for the capsulodesis results? Will it be too much weight on the shoulder joint so soon? Bailey's arm was out to the side because she had biceps tendon lengthening too?

Hi Francine,
Just wondering why Maia was put in a static splint after capsulodesis? I thought that an elbow contracture automatically meant they would be placed in the other splint. When I read that Maia was in the static one I figured her elbow contracture must have improved so much. Amanda has a slight elbow contracture and I'm thinking she'll probably be in the other type of splint. Sorry I didn't help you, just asked you more questions...
Rachel

Dr. Nath said that she was in her splint because of 'body type'. I thought it might mean her size and I just didn't think of questioning him more about it...figured there is a reason for everything.
francine

Francine-
No Bailey did not have the Bicept lengthening. Dr. Nath was trying to avoid that. But he did say to start the dyna splint as soon as she was out the the Caps splint. I didn't think about discomfort. I will ask him about this. Jodi

Jodi what I was wondering about was the weight of the dynasplint pulling the shoulder joint down. They spend so much time with the arm up in that 90/90 position - and we're not allowed to let the arm come down forward at all whatsoever because it can blow the stitches...BUT.... then we get them into a weighted splint - weighted and in the 'down' position? That's what's been bothing me. Should we let the shoulder rest a bit and learn to take on it's own weight before we burden it with additional 'heavy' weight? The logical concept is bothering me.
-francine

Francine- I am sorry I understood what you meant. What I meant to say was that I had only thought about comfort. I hadn't thought about the weight or any damage it could do. I don't know where my brain is tonight I am think one thing and typing another!!!

Maybe Dr. Nath wanted Bailey in the Dyna splint because something is different. Bailey's splint is different. Her splint is just like the one for the mod quad only is it straight out to the side. 90 degrees. What is the other 90 degrees your talking about? Is that how much the elbow is bent. Bailey's elbow is completely straight and she is supinated to where her hand is palm up. Have you heard of any others splinted like Bailey?
Before we went I figured that Bailey would be in the Static splint because of her contracture. I haven't heard of any others with a splint like Bailey's. I am going to ask Dr. Nath about that too. Keep me posted if you find anything out.
Thanks Jodi

now I wonder why some kids get the dynamic splint for the cap splint and some not....if you say that bailey had a contracture and was still put ina static splint - I'm SO confused!! lol lol
-francine

Sorry now I am confused. I don't think that it is the static splint that she is in. Isn't the static splint the one that you can move gradually at the elbow joint. Bailey's doesn't move at all she is just straight out to the side with her palm up.

It is getting hard to get Bailey back in the brace at night. It is hard to get her arm back in that supination position. The brace Maia is in would be easier to make sure you are rotating the top part of her arm. The way Bailey is it is hard to make sure the whole arm is turning and not just the forearm.