Any health condition including diseases could be serious and they make people annoyed and stubborn. Yes, when someone experiences a health condition, the normal life of that person just changes and he/she becomes a bit or even completely liable on someone else to even help perform daily activities. One of the health problems that anyone wants to avoid is orthopedic conditions. These occur when there is any injury to our musculoskeletal system including bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles. Fixing these injuries might also require the involvement of orthopedic implants like Herbert Screws, External Fixator Device, and Hand Fracture system. But how would you explain the pain when such conditions occur in newborns. With them, their parents also get affected mentally the most.
In this article, we are going to discuss some common orthopedic conditions seen in newborns along with their treatment methods.
Hip Dysplasia
When the socket of the hip doesn’t cover the hip completely, the condition is known as hip dysplasia. Under normal circumstances, the hip socket fully covers the ball part of the femur. Now, for the normal development of this portion, the socket and ball must be in the correct alignment. If this condition is not diagnosed and treated at the right time, it could severely affect the mobility of the child at later stages. Plus, the risk of developing hip osteoarthritis also increases.
A simple hip click test could diagnose this condition and as the bones of the baby are still developing, this condition can be fixed without any surgical intervention. Application of a brace known as Pavlik harness is done to fix this condition by aligning the hip of the baby correctly.
Clubfoot
Now, we come to the next orthopedic condition that a newborn could get affected to. Clubfoot is a birth defect that is characterized by the bending of the feet inward and downward. The reason for this condition is short tendons on the back and inside of the feet. This is why the feet of the infant bends into an unnatural position. Due to the joint flexibility and still developing bones in babies, this condition can be treated non-surgically.
Ponseti method is used for the treatment of this condition which involves gradual softening of ligaments, tendons, and joint capsules. A plaster cast is applied to the feet after each treatment to bring back the bones & joints in the proper alignment. It usually takes around two months to fix this condition, yet, could also vary in some cases.
Metatarsus Adductus
The third and final orthopedic condition that is seen commonly in newborns is metatarsus adductus. This is the condition in which the forefoot of the infant turns inward. This is a common foot deformity in newborns and is also characterized by the bean-shaped appearance of the foot.
Now, one of the best things here you must know is that this condition does not generally require treatment as most cases get resolved on their own. Only a small percentage of infants need treatment for the fixation of metatarsus adductus.
Now, another key point to be considered here is that if this condition does not get treated completely on its own, there is a risk of developing hip dysplasia and even premature arthritis. Abnormal foot position is known to cause chronic stress on the hip joint and that is why the risk of hip dysplasia could be seen. In severe cases, surgical intervention might be required and in that, forefoot joints are released and a cast is applied to position the foot correctly.
Siora Surgicals Pvt. Ltd. is a leading orthopedic implant manufacturer in India with an advanced manufacturing unit in the RAI district, Sonipat, Haryana. The company is also a supplier of trauma implants in UK.