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Original science popularization Work Committee Chinese Rehabilitation Medical Association rehabilitation science

Orthotics help children recover

Author: WU Yiping, YUAN Aiyun

Setting: Women and Children's Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University

Presiding Judge: Wang Hong

Vice Chairman of the scientific Popularization Working Committee of Chinese Rehabilitation Medical Association

Vice Dean, School of Rehabilitation, Shanghai Medical College of Health

What are orthotics?

Orthosis belongs to rehabilitation engineering and is an important part of rehabilitation medicine. Orthotics use the principles and means of engineering to compensate or compensate for the loss of function of the individual to make up for the functional defect, so that the sick individual can maximize the realization of self-care and return to society. In addition to orthopaedic devices, rehabilitation engineering products also include various assistive devices, prosthetics, lifting and transportation systems, environmental control systems and robots.

What are the applications of orthotics in children's rehabilitation?

(1) Orthotics used in children's neurological rehabilitation

Common diseases in neurological rehabilitation are: Cerebral palsy, paraplegia, hemiplegia, peripheral nerve injury, spinal muscular atrophy, pseudohypertrophic dystrophy (DMD), etc., most of these children will have neuromotor dysfunction, including hypertonia or hypotonia, decreased muscle strength, poor movement and posture control, partial or complete loss of standing and walking function, hand dysfunction, etc. Through targeted assembly of lower limb orthoses -- foot orthoses, ankle-foot orthoses, knee ankle-foot orthoses, paraplegic walkers, etc., children can be helped to prevent and correct lower limb deformities, reduce lower limb tension, provide stable support and protection, and restore the ability to stand and walk. At the same time, the use of hand support can prevent hand muscle atrophy and contracture deformation, and can also provide help for hand movement and promote the recovery of hand function.

Ankle-foot orthotics AFO

(2) Orthotics are used for orthopedic rehabilitation of children

1. Applied to children fracture rehabilitation

There are also many diseases in orthopedic rehabilitation that can be treated with orthotics. For example, a fracture of a limb or trunk can be fixed using a low-temperature thermoplastic plate. Compared with traditional plaster fixation, low-temperature thermoplastic orthoses are not only fit and well fixed, but also light and breathable, and can be removed for local cleaning care if it is a more stable fracture. It completely avoids the embarrassment of dry skin, foul odor and hair proliferation caused by long time wearing plaster.

Orthotics for long legs

Head, neck and chest orthosis

2. Applied to rehabilitation of congenital or acquired bone and joint deformity

The bone development of children follows certain rules, such as the arch of the foot before the age of four, the development of the knee joint is about eight years old, and the development of the spine is closely related to bone age, and the higher the bone maturity, the worse the treatment effect of scoliosis. If we can seize the golden time of the child's development for conservative treatment, the effect will be more ideal, once missed may be half the effort. Bone deformities suitable for early treatment with orthotics include scoliosis, horseshoe foot, flat foot, high arch foot, internal and external slit-foot, X/O legs, and long and short legs. Remind parents and friends: Once the above abnormalities are found, even in the neonatal period, they should seek medical advice in time to avoid missing the best treatment opportunity.

Abnormal human strength line

Orthopedic devices, as external devices assembled in limbs, trunk and other parts of the human body, play an indispensable role in pediatric rehabilitation management, which can effectively prevent or correct the deformity of limbs and trunk or treat bone and joint diseases and neuromuscular diseases and compensate their functions. Through the organic combination of rehabilitation treatment and rehabilitation engineering, it can achieve twice the result with half the effort. It should be reminded that orthotics must be tailored by rehabilitation doctors, orthopedic surgeons and orthopedic surgeons after discussion, to have a wearing plan, efficacy tracking, correction and replacement strategy, otherwise it may be counterproductive.