JonathanPagdin, Author at Resource Library - Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust

Intramedullary means ‘within the bone’. An intramedullary nail goes into the bone to align and stabilise the breaks (fractures). The nails we use are either Fitbone or Precice. The surgeon will discuss which one will be the most suitable to use for your child. They lengthen the bone from the...

How do the frames work? To help limb correction to take place, the metal frame is attached around your child’s limb. This is done by passing metal pins through the skin, muscle and bone. At the same time a break is made in the bone. Once the frame is in place, the broken bone can… Continue...

This resource is aimed at children aged 7 to 12 years old but may be found useful by anyone who is undergoing limb reconstruction surgery themselves or who knows somebody who is. It can be used to help you look at how you feel about the surgery and give you some ideas to help you… Continue...

Children’s Orthopaedic surgery has many benefits but there is no certain way to predict the outcome of surgery or treatment. The following are some of the recognised complications and risks of any Orthopaedic treatment. There may be others but they are very rare. Complications related to the bone...

The ‘Precice Nail’ is a very clever metal rod that is inserted into a bone and used to lengthen it. It is similar to FITBONE nail. The Surgeon will make a surgical break (osteotomy) in the bone and insert the nail. You are not allowed to fully walk on the operated leg until the...

Introduction The limb reconstruction service provides treatments for children with limb discrepancies and deformities as well as restricted growth. Many of the operations we do rely upon the use of ‘external fixation devices’. From start to finish the whole process takes many months and we hope...

Pin site care information for patients with external fixators If your treatment is to be a success it is essential that you keep your pin sites clean. If your pin sites become seriously infected your treatment may have to be stopped. At worst, a serious pin site infection can lead to...

Bolster dressings are used to prevent excessive soft tissue movement around skeletal screws, pins or wires. They are generally used on femoral screw sites, or on half-pin sites on Ilizarov or Taylor spatial frames. Reducing soft tissue movement with the application of a bolster dressing can lessen...

A hip spica is a cast (the same type of plaster we use to splint broken bones) which extends from the abdomen and down both legs. How far down the leg it comes depends on the reason for the cast. Some spicas have a cross bar between the legs which adds stability to casts in… Continue Reading...

What is an epiphysiodesis? An epiphysiodesis is a way of partially stopping growth in a longer leg or arm bone by destroying the ‘growth plate’. Since the shorter limb (non-operative limb) continues to grow as before, this has the effect of allowing the shorter limb to ‘catch...