Study looks at whether back braces offer benefit for scoliosis
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
11/12/2009
Scoliosis screenings in middle schools find thousands of teenagers with curved spines each year.
What happens next isn't as well planned.
Treatment for scoliosis hasn't changed in five decades — if the spine is curved to a certain degree, the teenager gets a back brace. But research has not conclusively proved the benefits of the braces.
Some young people who don't wear a brace never have any problems and their curves never worsen. Others wear the braces for years and still end up needing back surgery.
A long-term study at Washington University and more than 20 other research centers hopes to figure out why.
"If we can say that bracing doesn't change (the progression of a spinal curve) then it's a treatment regimen that we shouldn't offer," said Dr. Matthew Dobbs, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon and lead investigator at Washington University. "Why do school screenings? Why identify a child with a small curve and put them through years of bracing if it's not going to alter natural curve?"
Half of the participants in the study will receive back braces to wear at least 18 hours a day, and the other half won't wear braces. Both groups will receive regular X-rays to check their spinal curves.
Braces aren't thought to correct the curves but to prevent progression.
"But again we have no data to support that, despite all of us doing this for years and years and years," Dobbs said. "We don't know what the best treatment is; we don't know who's going to progress."
Curves that progress to 50 degrees — about 10 percent of cases — are generally thought to require spinal fusion surgery.
Dobbs predicts the research will show that certain patients benefit from bracing and others don't, depending on the type of spinal curve.
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis occurs in about one in 1,000 teenagers, and is 10 times more common in girls. It can cause back pain, and in severe cases can affect heart and lung function.
The cause is unknown, although Dobbs and other researchers are studying the disorder's genetic factors.
Most states conduct scoliosis screenings by checking students' backs, typically in sixth and eighth grades. The Missouri health department estimates that 84 percent of schools voluntarily perform the checks. A bill working through the Illinois legislature would require the checks.
Smaller spinal curves are typically monitored by a doctor, but patients whose curves reach between 20 and 40 degrees are usually recommended for back braces.
If it's found that fewer teens need braces, the research could save money on treatments plus spare some teenagers the psychological stress of wearing a brace.
Braces are "mostly put on young teenage girls who are very concerned about appearance in general and don't want anything that makes them look different," Dobbs said.
That's why patients in the study are also monitored psychologically to see how they're handling the brace.
"If we see a child in the study who dips on their mood and mental health during the study, we need to figure out what's going on," Dobbs said.
Kelli Sargent of Belleview, Mo., has worn a brace for 20 hours every day since January, after doctors measured a 27-degree curve in her spine.
The seventh-grader hasn't let scoliosis keep her from activities including volleyball and basketball, which she plays without the brace.
But starting middle school this fall was sometimes tough when new kids asked Kelli about the brace. She also had to start changing for gym class, making it obvious that she wears it.
But "if you just act like it's no big deal," then other kids will too, she said.
Kelli does have a difficult time picking up books from the bottom of her locker and tying her shoes, because the brace can dig into her upper thighs when she bends. And now she has to buy jeans and tops a little bit bigger to fit over the brace.
Otherwise, she's gotten used to it and even nicknamed the brace "Shelly" since it feels like she's wearing a shell.
11/12/2009
Scoliosis screenings in middle schools find thousands of teenagers with curved spines each year.
What happens next isn't as well planned.
Treatment for scoliosis hasn't changed in five decades — if the spine is curved to a certain degree, the teenager gets a back brace. But research has not conclusively proved the benefits of the braces.
Some young people who don't wear a brace never have any problems and their curves never worsen. Others wear the braces for years and still end up needing back surgery.
A long-term study at Washington University and more than 20 other research centers hopes to figure out why.
"If we can say that bracing doesn't change (the progression of a spinal curve) then it's a treatment regimen that we shouldn't offer," said Dr. Matthew Dobbs, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon and lead investigator at Washington University. "Why do school screenings? Why identify a child with a small curve and put them through years of bracing if it's not going to alter natural curve?"
Half of the participants in the study will receive back braces to wear at least 18 hours a day, and the other half won't wear braces. Both groups will receive regular X-rays to check their spinal curves.
Braces aren't thought to correct the curves but to prevent progression.
"But again we have no data to support that, despite all of us doing this for years and years and years," Dobbs said. "We don't know what the best treatment is; we don't know who's going to progress."
Curves that progress to 50 degrees — about 10 percent of cases — are generally thought to require spinal fusion surgery.
Dobbs predicts the research will show that certain patients benefit from bracing and others don't, depending on the type of spinal curve.
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis occurs in about one in 1,000 teenagers, and is 10 times more common in girls. It can cause back pain, and in severe cases can affect heart and lung function.
The cause is unknown, although Dobbs and other researchers are studying the disorder's genetic factors.
Most states conduct scoliosis screenings by checking students' backs, typically in sixth and eighth grades. The Missouri health department estimates that 84 percent of schools voluntarily perform the checks. A bill working through the Illinois legislature would require the checks.
Smaller spinal curves are typically monitored by a doctor, but patients whose curves reach between 20 and 40 degrees are usually recommended for back braces.
If it's found that fewer teens need braces, the research could save money on treatments plus spare some teenagers the psychological stress of wearing a brace.
Braces are "mostly put on young teenage girls who are very concerned about appearance in general and don't want anything that makes them look different," Dobbs said.
That's why patients in the study are also monitored psychologically to see how they're handling the brace.
"If we see a child in the study who dips on their mood and mental health during the study, we need to figure out what's going on," Dobbs said.
Kelli Sargent of Belleview, Mo., has worn a brace for 20 hours every day since January, after doctors measured a 27-degree curve in her spine.
The seventh-grader hasn't let scoliosis keep her from activities including volleyball and basketball, which she plays without the brace.
But starting middle school this fall was sometimes tough when new kids asked Kelli about the brace. She also had to start changing for gym class, making it obvious that she wears it.
But "if you just act like it's no big deal," then other kids will too, she said.
Kelli does have a difficult time picking up books from the bottom of her locker and tying her shoes, because the brace can dig into her upper thighs when she bends. And now she has to buy jeans and tops a little bit bigger to fit over the brace.
Otherwise, she's gotten used to it and even nicknamed the brace "Shelly" since it feels like she's wearing a shell.
Labels: back brace, Scoliosis, surgery
09 October 2009
New spinal surgery has patients walking within a day
VANCOUVER — To watch her walk into a room, you would never guess that Carmen Stolk had major surgery six weeks ago to correct a curve in her spine.
The 18-year-old stood straight and confident Thursday morning at BC Children's Hospital, looking happy to be back in the building where history was made in August when surgeons performed a new, less invasive type of surgery to correct her scoliosis.
Stolk was the first person in Canada to receive the surgery, which reduces the amount of trauma done to patients' backs, allowing them to get up and walk the next day.
New spinal surgery has patients walking within a day
The 18-year-old stood straight and confident Thursday morning at BC Children's Hospital, looking happy to be back in the building where history was made in August when surgeons performed a new, less invasive type of surgery to correct her scoliosis.
Stolk was the first person in Canada to receive the surgery, which reduces the amount of trauma done to patients' backs, allowing them to get up and walk the next day.
New spinal surgery has patients walking within a day
30 September 2009
Where Surgery Was the Standard, Casting May Be the Future
Labels: Casting, progressive infantile scoliosis, surgery
'My back pain was so horrific, I looked as if I had been mugged' | Mail Online
Gill Keighley was walking to the shops when a passer-by came up to her.
‘Are you all right?’ he asked.
Gill reassured him that she was fine but he looked doubtful. ‘Are you sure? You look in so much pain, I thought you’d been mugged.’ It was a defining moment for Gill, a 37-year-old social worker
'My back pain was so horrific, I looked as if I had been mugged' | Mail Online
‘Are you all right?’ he asked.
Gill reassured him that she was fine but he looked doubtful. ‘Are you sure? You look in so much pain, I thought you’d been mugged.’ It was a defining moment for Gill, a 37-year-old social worker
'My back pain was so horrific, I looked as if I had been mugged' | Mail Online
27 September 2009
Starting to build up my walking
View Larger Map
I managed to walk there and back which is about 0.4KM which might not sound a great distance, but it is for me as not walked very much at all before I had my operation
26 August 2009
Tom’s standing ovation for his video
A TEENAGE cerebral palsy sufferer has received a standing ovation after unveiling a self-produced video documenting his own life-threatening spinal surgery.
Tom Williams pitched Rebuilding Thomas to medical experts at the Custard Factory, in Birmingham, on Friday.
The 18-year-old sold 80 copies to a metal spine manufacturer and hopes to hear back from NHS trusts and charities in the coming weeks.
Tom (pictured) said he would now take a well-earned rest after a “whirlwind” week, during which he also discovered he had passed his A-levels.
The Newborough resident said: “It’s been a crazy week but I’m absolutely delighted to have got into Bradford University, where I’ll study to be a film producer, and to have got a standing ovation on Friday.
“I managed to change the views of those who thought the documentary would be too depressing and hope it goes on to be a success.
“I’m now going to take a year out to go to independence college, then on to uni, but I’ll always reflect on this and feel proud of what I’ve achieved.” Tom underwent a 12-hour operation to straighten his spine last year, filming his experiences before, during and after surgery.
He funded the film’s production with his disability benefits and now hopes NHS trusts around the UK will buy it to help parents, patients and doctors cope with similar operations.
During his year out, Tom will take up a new role as national advisor for the Scoliosis Society.
Labels: Cerebral Palsy, Scoliosis, surgery
17 June 2009
Nintendo Wii Could Help Doctors Prep for Surgery
By Charles Q. Choi
The popular Nintendo Wii console offers video games that venture into the world of exercise, but scientists now are taking it further, to help doctors heal the body.
The key behind the Wii is its motion-sensitive wireless controller, the Wii Remote, or the "Wiimote," with which players control actions on screen. Players can swing the controller to simulate countless realistic motions, such as swatting a baseball for a home run. Such technology is becoming increasingly popular — at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Sony and Microsoft both revealed motion-sensitive game controllers.
Playing with the Wii could help surgeons in training improve their fine motor skills and performance in a surgical simulator. Eight trainees were asked to play the Wii for an hour before performing virtual laparoscopic surgery with a tool that simulates a patient's body and tracks the surgeon's movements as he or she operates.
The Wii-playing residents scored 48 percent higher than others without the warm-up with the Wii, working faster and more accurately.
Although the researchers first relied on off-the-shelf Wii games, they will soon release a complete surgical training system they designed for the Wii, where trainees can practice suturing and other procedures.
"There's really no accurate way to train surgeons in the operating room, so it's virtually all the on-the-job training, which is very time-inefficient," explained researcher Mark Smith, an endoscopic surgeon at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Arizona. "There are surgery simulators out there, but these are still very expensive. With the Wii, we have a very easy and inexpensive platform where surgery residents can learn and develop their skills."
"You can even have the surgeons train at home," added researcher Kanav Kahol, a biomedical informatician at Arizona State University. Although the Wii could help surgeons train in virtually any surgical specialty, the researchers are especially interested in using the console to teach robotic surgery, where surgeons can use robots for precise, minimally invasive procedures or to help patients at remote locations.
The Wii is also helping patients with Parkinson's disease gain or maintain their independence with physical activities. Occupational therapists at Medical College of Georgia are using the console with patients to help them exercise.
"One of the therapists uses the Wii for timing and loosening up, and the other uses it for coordination and balance issues," said researcher Ben Herz. "These therapists are thinking way out of the box. They're doing activities that will make a difference in these participants' lives based on what we know about Parkinson's."
Doctors at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center are using the Wii to help scan through an ever-increasing workload of patient X-ray and MRI images.
Instead of spending hours at a time navigating through pictures using basic keyboard and mouse clicks, which can lead to repetitive motion injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, one cycles through scans with the Wii by just rotating the wrist.
"The remote is very intuitive," explained George Shih, a radiologist at Weill Cornell Medical College, who with his colleagues helped develop the system that links the Wii remote to the diagnostic computer.
At Weill, "Wii-habilitation" therapists are using the console to help patients with burn injuries. For such patients, moving and stretching the skin is very painful, but crucial for a successful recovery.
"If a burn injury is near joints, the healing process makes the skin tight, so the natural tendency is not to move normally," said Roger Yurt, chief of burn surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. "However, if the patients don't, the joint itself starts to get stiff, so right from the beginning after a significant burn injury, patients have to start doing physical therapy."
The researchers have found that Wii games not only help the burn patients exercise as they need to, but "get their mind off their disease, accomplish the objectives of the therapy without being routine and boring and monotonous," said researcher and physical therapist Sam Yohannan at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.
"If they're in for multiple surgeries, for an extended period of time, it gives them a little bit of escape, doing some sort of sport with scenery that's typically outdoors," Yohannan added. "And it also improves socialization, and that's a big part of burn rehabilitation and therapy, to get social support."
Such research, or "Wii-search" as Yohannan said he sometimes calls it, "is very cutting edge, and there will be a lot more in the future, to see why and how games can better improve the health of patients. It's a great and inexpensive technology."
The popular Nintendo Wii console offers video games that venture into the world of exercise, but scientists now are taking it further, to help doctors heal the body.
The key behind the Wii is its motion-sensitive wireless controller, the Wii Remote, or the "Wiimote," with which players control actions on screen. Players can swing the controller to simulate countless realistic motions, such as swatting a baseball for a home run. Such technology is becoming increasingly popular — at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Sony and Microsoft both revealed motion-sensitive game controllers.
Playing with the Wii could help surgeons in training improve their fine motor skills and performance in a surgical simulator. Eight trainees were asked to play the Wii for an hour before performing virtual laparoscopic surgery with a tool that simulates a patient's body and tracks the surgeon's movements as he or she operates.
The Wii-playing residents scored 48 percent higher than others without the warm-up with the Wii, working faster and more accurately.
Although the researchers first relied on off-the-shelf Wii games, they will soon release a complete surgical training system they designed for the Wii, where trainees can practice suturing and other procedures.
"There's really no accurate way to train surgeons in the operating room, so it's virtually all the on-the-job training, which is very time-inefficient," explained researcher Mark Smith, an endoscopic surgeon at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Arizona. "There are surgery simulators out there, but these are still very expensive. With the Wii, we have a very easy and inexpensive platform where surgery residents can learn and develop their skills."
"You can even have the surgeons train at home," added researcher Kanav Kahol, a biomedical informatician at Arizona State University. Although the Wii could help surgeons train in virtually any surgical specialty, the researchers are especially interested in using the console to teach robotic surgery, where surgeons can use robots for precise, minimally invasive procedures or to help patients at remote locations.
The Wii is also helping patients with Parkinson's disease gain or maintain their independence with physical activities. Occupational therapists at Medical College of Georgia are using the console with patients to help them exercise.
"One of the therapists uses the Wii for timing and loosening up, and the other uses it for coordination and balance issues," said researcher Ben Herz. "These therapists are thinking way out of the box. They're doing activities that will make a difference in these participants' lives based on what we know about Parkinson's."
Doctors at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center are using the Wii to help scan through an ever-increasing workload of patient X-ray and MRI images.
Instead of spending hours at a time navigating through pictures using basic keyboard and mouse clicks, which can lead to repetitive motion injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, one cycles through scans with the Wii by just rotating the wrist.
"The remote is very intuitive," explained George Shih, a radiologist at Weill Cornell Medical College, who with his colleagues helped develop the system that links the Wii remote to the diagnostic computer.
At Weill, "Wii-habilitation" therapists are using the console to help patients with burn injuries. For such patients, moving and stretching the skin is very painful, but crucial for a successful recovery.
"If a burn injury is near joints, the healing process makes the skin tight, so the natural tendency is not to move normally," said Roger Yurt, chief of burn surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. "However, if the patients don't, the joint itself starts to get stiff, so right from the beginning after a significant burn injury, patients have to start doing physical therapy."
The researchers have found that Wii games not only help the burn patients exercise as they need to, but "get their mind off their disease, accomplish the objectives of the therapy without being routine and boring and monotonous," said researcher and physical therapist Sam Yohannan at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.
"If they're in for multiple surgeries, for an extended period of time, it gives them a little bit of escape, doing some sort of sport with scenery that's typically outdoors," Yohannan added. "And it also improves socialization, and that's a big part of burn rehabilitation and therapy, to get social support."
Such research, or "Wii-search" as Yohannan said he sometimes calls it, "is very cutting edge, and there will be a lot more in the future, to see why and how games can better improve the health of patients. It's a great and inexpensive technology."
Labels: Doctors, Nintendo Wii, surgery
02 May 2009
Stunning Spine Surgery Brings Complication, Recovery
Former Medical Reporter Has Scoliosis Surgery
POSTED: 12:33 pm EDT April 30, 2009
UPDATED: 7:01 am EDT May 1, 2009
BOSTON -- The two long days of surgery will be brutal. With quick encouragement from her husband, Rhonda Mann is rolled into the operating room to have a rib and six spinal discs removed, all to stop the 54 degree curve in her spine from crushing her lungs and other organs.
The five-hour operation on day one went well, but on the second day, an unexpected snag. Mann lost a large amount of blood in surgery.
"I did donate 2 units beforehand. And I lost 9 units of blood," she said.
"That is a lot of blood," said her surgeon, Dr. Paul Glazer of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. "It was pretty significant. Thank goodness she was able to get through the surgery."
Rhonda lost a significant amount of blood during the surgery. Despite the blood loss, Glazer forged ahead with more than eight hours of surgery on that second day, inserting screws, hooks and wires.
"We're actually pulling the spine into the right position during the surgery," he said.
The X-ray of Mann's new spine is startling.
"You can see the screws that are going into the bones, (and) where I use hooks to actually grab onto the spine and actually correct the deformity," said Glazer.
It's all held in place by two titanium rods and a kind of medical cement, made from Mann's own bones that Glazer removed the day before.
"What you can see is this kind of speckled area. This is the bone graft that was applied during the back approach. And this will all become sort of solid over time and start to fuse."
A composite shows Rhonda's spine before and after surgery. Nine days post-op, Mann prepared to go home from Beth Israel and took a moment to read a Valentine's Day card from her son, "I hope you like this gift from me.”
Despite the pain from the two large incisions that will forever mark her torso, Mann is feeling hopeful that the chronic pain she endured for a decade is subsiding.
"I think I could be pain free. I think I could be. I don't want to jinx anything but I think I could be."
NewsCenter 5's cameras were there as Mann took her first post-surgery steps without a walker. "It takes a lot out of you."
One month after surgery, Mann said she notices every day that the pain has eased. But the emotions of undergoing such a drastic operation comes as a surprise.
"You feel like you can't do anything. I got really depressed right after the surgery. And then, you know, you start to do little things at a time. People will say, 'Wow, you went up the stairs.'"
"Just think about how much pressure I'm taking off my lungs and my other organs, and it's not going to hurt all the time."
- Rhonda MannBrunner: "It really is the little things, isn't it?"
Mann: "It's the little things."
The final result of her two days of surgery is better than Mann and her doctors expected. Her new spine shows virtually no sign of scoliosis.
Brunner: "When you look at these two pictures, it's got to be mind boggling."
Mann: "I'll tell you, I cried when I first saw them, and now I'm going to cry again. When they first showed it to me I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that that was me. Just think about how much pressure I'm taking off my lungs and my other organs, and it's not going to hurt all the time."
Rhonda returned to work about 11 weeks after surgery. "I'm absolutely so glad I did the surgery. And so glad it's behind me now."
Mann is two inches taller than before surgery.
It could take up to a year for her spinal fusion to fully harden. She said several sessions of physical therapy each week help her feel stronger. In fact, this week Mann returned to her job as a marketing executive at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for a full day of work and meetings, at the end of which she marveled about how pain-free she felt.
Labels: Scoliosis, spinal fusion, surgery
Harry's hopes of playing football
AN Ilminster student's dreams of playing football with his friends may soon become a reality as he undergoes surgery to help him walk correctly.
Harry Rutter, aged 16, of Blackdown View was born with cerebral palsy, a condition which in his case severely restricts movement in the left side of his body.
He has always been able to walk but with considerable difficulty, and doctors told him the way he moved would eventually lead to curvature of the spine.
In February, he had an operation on his leg at Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, to prevent this. The surgery left him temporarily relying on a wheelchair and mobility scooter.
There is more surgery for the student of Holyrood School, Chard, on Thursday but he remains defiant.
Harry, a huge football fan, said: "I'm not treated any differently at school by my friends anyway, but it would be brilliant to be able to play football with them instead of just watching from the sidelines.
"I'm studying registered materials, cooking, humanities and PE, but it is a pain because I leave school in the afternoons and quite often miss the double lessons.
"I'm not really allowed to play football on any of the teams, because of health and safety, which is annoying."
Harry is a firm supporter of the Ilminster Youth Football team and rarely misses a match.
In 2008, his support for them was recognised when he was presented with an award at the Rotary Club of Ilminster's Young People of the Year awards.
He is also a staunch Yeovil Town FC fan. Last week, player-manager Terry Skiverton presented him with a signed club shirt and a copy of Hendford To Huish Park.
The gifts were a "good luck" gesture from the club for Harry's future operations.
He said: "I wasn't expecting that presentation at all and it was a bit embarrassing, but a nice surprise all the same.
"I joked about selling the gifts on eBay and making a bit of cash, but really the shirt will be going in a frame to put on my wall."
Harry's drive to persist with his treatment stepped up a gear at the end of the Ilminster Youth team's season, when the referee allowed him to play for the final ten minutes. Remembering this, he is unable to keep the smile from his face.
He said: "I got hacked a lot. Being able to play, even if only for ten minutes, gave me a taste of what I really want to do; I will get through these operations so I can play again."
Harry will soon take his final exams at school and is attending Holyrood's end-of-year ceremony on Friday.
Instead of staying on at the sixth form, he has secured a place at Somerset College of Arts and Technology in Taunton.
His mother Cindy, who used to run the Crown Inn in Ilminster, said: "I took Harry up to Taunton but he did the interview and everything else on his own, he doesn't let anything get in his way.
"I think college will help with his independence but he is very self-motivated anyway, it was his decision to have the surgery to correct his walking.
"We don't really have a timescale as to when the operations will be finished, as they depend upon the success of each other and cerebral palsy is so unpredictable. But our doctor says he is pleased with the status of Harry's leg and things look good at the moment.
"A lot of people know him in Ilminster and they know how determined he is. He's certainly not shy and is able to make friends easily.
"We get a lot of support from friends and family and I would especially like to thank the Ilminster Youth team, Yeovil Town and Holyrood School, who have gone out on a limb for Harry. Also Jeff Perks, who arranged the half-time presentation.
"This has taken its toll on the family but I think 2010 will be our year."
Harry Rutter, aged 16, of Blackdown View was born with cerebral palsy, a condition which in his case severely restricts movement in the left side of his body.
He has always been able to walk but with considerable difficulty, and doctors told him the way he moved would eventually lead to curvature of the spine.
In February, he had an operation on his leg at Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, to prevent this. The surgery left him temporarily relying on a wheelchair and mobility scooter.
There is more surgery for the student of Holyrood School, Chard, on Thursday but he remains defiant.
Harry, a huge football fan, said: "I'm not treated any differently at school by my friends anyway, but it would be brilliant to be able to play football with them instead of just watching from the sidelines.
"I'm studying registered materials, cooking, humanities and PE, but it is a pain because I leave school in the afternoons and quite often miss the double lessons.
"I'm not really allowed to play football on any of the teams, because of health and safety, which is annoying."
Harry is a firm supporter of the Ilminster Youth Football team and rarely misses a match.
In 2008, his support for them was recognised when he was presented with an award at the Rotary Club of Ilminster's Young People of the Year awards.
He is also a staunch Yeovil Town FC fan. Last week, player-manager Terry Skiverton presented him with a signed club shirt and a copy of Hendford To Huish Park.
The gifts were a "good luck" gesture from the club for Harry's future operations.
He said: "I wasn't expecting that presentation at all and it was a bit embarrassing, but a nice surprise all the same.
"I joked about selling the gifts on eBay and making a bit of cash, but really the shirt will be going in a frame to put on my wall."
Harry's drive to persist with his treatment stepped up a gear at the end of the Ilminster Youth team's season, when the referee allowed him to play for the final ten minutes. Remembering this, he is unable to keep the smile from his face.
He said: "I got hacked a lot. Being able to play, even if only for ten minutes, gave me a taste of what I really want to do; I will get through these operations so I can play again."
Harry will soon take his final exams at school and is attending Holyrood's end-of-year ceremony on Friday.
Instead of staying on at the sixth form, he has secured a place at Somerset College of Arts and Technology in Taunton.
His mother Cindy, who used to run the Crown Inn in Ilminster, said: "I took Harry up to Taunton but he did the interview and everything else on his own, he doesn't let anything get in his way.
"I think college will help with his independence but he is very self-motivated anyway, it was his decision to have the surgery to correct his walking.
"We don't really have a timescale as to when the operations will be finished, as they depend upon the success of each other and cerebral palsy is so unpredictable. But our doctor says he is pleased with the status of Harry's leg and things look good at the moment.
"A lot of people know him in Ilminster and they know how determined he is. He's certainly not shy and is able to make friends easily.
"We get a lot of support from friends and family and I would especially like to thank the Ilminster Youth team, Yeovil Town and Holyrood School, who have gone out on a limb for Harry. Also Jeff Perks, who arranged the half-time presentation.
"This has taken its toll on the family but I think 2010 will be our year."
Labels: Cerebral Palsy, Scoliosis, Sports, surgery
26 April 2009
Surgery ‘improves life of kids with cerebral palsy
Publish Date: Sunday,26 April, 2009, at 12:27 PM Doha Time
Dr Shaarani: ‘Two to three years of age is the time to show an affected child to a surgeon
By Bonnie JamesSurgical interventions improve the quality of life of children with cerebral palsy, Hamad Medical Corporation’s consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr Mohamed Shaarani said yesterday.“Surgery enables many wheelchair-bound children to be transferred to walkers and those who are crippled to get on to wheelchairs,” he explained to Gulf Times on the sidelines of the first cerebral palsy symposium in Qatar.
Children with cerebral palsy have spasticity (stiff or rigid muscles with exaggerated, deep tendon reflexes, for example, a knee-jerk reflex), which can interfere with walking, movement, or speech.“We elongate some muscles and cut some others to make them loose and allow movement and flexibility,” pointed out Dr Shaarani, also a consultant paediatric orthopaedic.
Between two to three years of age is the ideal time to show an affected child for the first time to a surgeon, he added.In a presentation about dental problems in cerebral palsy, Primary Healthcare Department’s senior consultant Dr Mutaz Ahmed observed that incidence of dental decay is higher in this group, mainly due to poor oral hygiene.“Dental caries, gum disease, malocclusion, enamel defects, increased incidence of dental trauma, drooling, and grinding of teeth are among the main problems,” he explained.The incidence of gum disease is three times more among those with cerebral palsy than in the general population. The affected group also have a higher rate of dental enamel defects.“The increased risk for dental trauma can be attributed to problems with balance and muscle weakness in legs,” Dr Ahmed pointed out.Giving sedation, including general anaesthesia, is a very important option when doing dental procedures on an individual with cerebral palsy, as it may otherwise be difficult to control the patient.Highlighting the significance of maintaining proper dental hygiene in those with cerebral palsy the senior consultant suggested that parents should be instructed by dentists in this regard.“Cerebral palsy patients should be seen by a dentist every six months,” Dr Ahmed recommended while observing that electric toothbrush can be very useful for them.
Radiology, seizure disorders, growth and nutrition, medical management of spasticity, roles of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, orthotic, speech therapy and dietician, and education were the other topics of presentations at the symposium.
Dr Shaarani: ‘Two to three years of age is the time to show an affected child to a surgeon
By Bonnie JamesSurgical interventions improve the quality of life of children with cerebral palsy, Hamad Medical Corporation’s consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr Mohamed Shaarani said yesterday.“Surgery enables many wheelchair-bound children to be transferred to walkers and those who are crippled to get on to wheelchairs,” he explained to Gulf Times on the sidelines of the first cerebral palsy symposium in Qatar.
Children with cerebral palsy have spasticity (stiff or rigid muscles with exaggerated, deep tendon reflexes, for example, a knee-jerk reflex), which can interfere with walking, movement, or speech.“We elongate some muscles and cut some others to make them loose and allow movement and flexibility,” pointed out Dr Shaarani, also a consultant paediatric orthopaedic.
Between two to three years of age is the ideal time to show an affected child for the first time to a surgeon, he added.In a presentation about dental problems in cerebral palsy, Primary Healthcare Department’s senior consultant Dr Mutaz Ahmed observed that incidence of dental decay is higher in this group, mainly due to poor oral hygiene.“Dental caries, gum disease, malocclusion, enamel defects, increased incidence of dental trauma, drooling, and grinding of teeth are among the main problems,” he explained.The incidence of gum disease is three times more among those with cerebral palsy than in the general population. The affected group also have a higher rate of dental enamel defects.“The increased risk for dental trauma can be attributed to problems with balance and muscle weakness in legs,” Dr Ahmed pointed out.Giving sedation, including general anaesthesia, is a very important option when doing dental procedures on an individual with cerebral palsy, as it may otherwise be difficult to control the patient.Highlighting the significance of maintaining proper dental hygiene in those with cerebral palsy the senior consultant suggested that parents should be instructed by dentists in this regard.“Cerebral palsy patients should be seen by a dentist every six months,” Dr Ahmed recommended while observing that electric toothbrush can be very useful for them.
Radiology, seizure disorders, growth and nutrition, medical management of spasticity, roles of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, orthotic, speech therapy and dietician, and education were the other topics of presentations at the symposium.
Labels: Balance, Cerebral Palsy, dietician, Education, growth, nutrition, Occupational Therapy, Orthopaedic, orthotic, Physiotherapy, Radiology, seizure disorders, spasticity, Speech Therapy, surgery
13 March 2009
More surgery is needed 6 years on!
Well it is exactly 6 years since I had my surgery for Scoliosis and as you know I am waiting to have further surgery in the form of artificial disc replacement. Anyway following my recent consultation I have now been sent a copy of the x-rays that where taken on the day. Yesterday I also had a call from the hospital about my MRI under anesthetic and I am pleased to say I dont have to wait too long because it is the 26th March so I am getting ever closer to hopefully stopping the pain I have.
Labels: artificial disc replacement, MRI, Scoliosis, surgery, The skies the limit, x-ray