Hip Fusion/Arthrodesis Help for 7yr/old boy

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Kaydun

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Hey There
Can anyone steer me in the right direction? My 7 year old son will require a Hip Fusion / Arthrodesis operation in the next 6mths to 3 years depending on the deteariation of his mobility. A THR is not an option until he is at least 40.
I’ve been searching on the net for a few days now and can’t find any forums or sites to help me know what to expect.
I know the basics of what the operation will entail but I need as much information as possible so I can make his life easier.
I would love to talk to someone who has been in a similar situation or find a site that will give me an idea of his range of mobility and needs after the operation.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you…. Kaydun.
 
Kaydun
I am so sorry to hear of your son(?) needing this surgery. I hope Jo our wonderful nurse can help.
Why must the replacement wait until he is 40? We have those in their late teens/early 20's on this site.

Best to both of you
Judy
 
Welcome, Kaydun. Boy, this is a question for our forum nurse, Josephine for sure. She will be checking in soon I'm sure and have some comments for you. I'll be praying for your family and especially for your son.
 
He was born 16 weeks prem. Being so little and not fully formed, Sepsis affected the growth of his Left Hip.
He has no ball or socket. In the X Rays all you can see is the Femur bone and the doctors feel there just isn't enough bone to work with.
 
Oh my. So sorry to hear about a little one with this type of problem. I hope the doctors are able to help him! I know this must be very difficult for you.
 
Thank you so much for your concerns. We found out 2 days ago and are still in shock. For the past 5 years we knew a THR was our best chance at some normality for him but we never expected Fusion. It's really thrown us.
 
Well, Kaydun, I doubt you will find any such forum as it's a somewhat uncommon procedure these days. Given the circumstances of the interference with growth it would seem that an arthrodesis is the only way to go at his age. It's a shame as he is so young but kids are extremely adaptable and you'll probably find he get used to it long before you do!

Have you any idea what kind of fusion the surgeon is going to use? That would help me advise and maybe even explain in some detail if you wish. But there are several ways of fusing a hip joint and I wouldn't want to confuse you!

It will likely be necessary for him to spend about 3 months in a hip spica until the bone has fused. This will be the most difficult time for him as he won't like the restriction at his age. You'll have your work cut out keeping him entertained and occupied for this period.

[Bonesmart.org] Hip Fusion/Arthrodesis Help for 7yr/old boy


After that will come the physio to help him relearn to walk with the stiff hip. It's not quite as bad as it sounds as he will quickly learn to accomodate it using his knee and back. I trained with a young lady who had had an arthrodeses of hip as a child and she coped extremely well. It didn't seem to prevent her doing anything in her nursing and she was a pretty good dancer too!

The choice of 40 yrs for his THR seems to have been somewhat arbitrarily chosen by the surgeon, in my opinion. Despite his current small stature, he might well make up his growth and even if he doesn't, there are extra small prostheses available (with the appropriate extra small instruments!) for just such contingencies.

If there is anything else you'd like to discuss or ask, please feel free. My experience base is pretty broad.
 
Our aim for the last few years was to see if there would be any type of growth from his hip and to come up with a plan of action. Seth's condition seems to be rare and the doctors said numerous times that they just didn't know how to treat him.
Seth's condition was discussed at an orthopedic conference so opinions from OS's around the state agreed that fusion will be the best option. This gives us great comfort.
I don't know what type of fusion he will need. I don't think our OS wanted to overwelm us. He just informed us of the plan and advised us to limit Seth's physical activities. Quite amazingly he plays football and cricket with some difficulty but he has always had the "give i a go" attitude. The ultimate goal was to have him reach the age of 12 so the bones are large enough to work with. Now with increased pain he will need the op much sooner.
At the age of 2 he had an open reduction and pelvic osteotomy and was in the spica cast for 8 weeks and a rhino brace for 7 months.. We had no idea what to expect last time and that's why I would like to be fully informed this time round. We found it hard trying to lift him back then in the cast, now add an extra 25kgs.....lol.
We meet again in 6mths time. By then we will have a hundred questions to ask the OS, especially regarding his age for a THR and I'm sure with the advancment in technology more options will have opened up in 20 years time.
The main concern for my husband and I is his range of mobility with the fusion and what he will be capable of doing. Also things like-: do we invest in an adjustable bed or chair. I know we are getting ahead of our selves but I want to be able to say to Seth that we looked into every avenue and thought about every step for his future.

Thank you so much for writing back. Kaydun..
 
Kaydun
I'm glad Jo can help you with some info, she is brilliant and has helped so many.
I'm sure Seth will adjust, probably be harder on you .
Prayers for some new advancements to help Seth and a smooth fusion.
Judy
 
If he's able to play sports (to a degree) I'm sure he'll be able to move himself around a bit. After a short while, he'll probably be capable of getting to the bathroom and back.

As regards things to get to aid his time in the cast, it's difficult to know what to advise just yet until you know more of what the surgeon is planning and what his requirements for aftercare and activities will be.

I would doubt an adjustable bed or chair would be much good as a person in a hip spica can either stand or lie down with a few pillows under their shoulders. Such a cast is a very different to the one used for a 2 yr old as you can see from my picture.

I would think that a specialised chair would be good to help you take him out and about. I found this which can be rented in the UK so is sure to be so in the US!

[Bonesmart.org] Hip Fusion/Arthrodesis Help for 7yr/old boy


https://www.usatechguide.org/itemreview.php?itemid=1416
 
My prayers go out to you Kaydun & Seth! Bless you both
 
Hoping for the best for you and Seth. Like Judy said, it will probably be harder on you than on him - kids are so resilient! Take care and keep posting.

Karen
 
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