LEIPZIG, Germany — Pediatric orthopedic treatment has shifted toward minimally invasive surgeries in the last decade, according to a keynote speaker at the ORTHOPÄDIE + REHA-TECHNIK 2012 International Trade Show and World Congress.
 |
|
| Franz Grill |
“The idea to dissect the foot in small parts and then put it back together like a puzzle proved to be the wrong way,” Franz Grill, MD, head of the department of pediatric orthopaedics, Orthopaedic Hospital Speising-Vienna, said here.
Coupled with improved diagnosis, this fundamental change in treatment approach has improved results and increased awareness. A pioneer in the shift toward minimally invasive procedures, Ignacio Ponseti, MD, developed the Ponseti method, a treatment for club foot that requires only one minimally invasive surgical procedure to lengthen the Achilles tendon. Following surgery, the patient is fit with a Dennis Browne bar that should be worn 2 to 3 months day and night and up to 3 to 4 years every night.
“The challenge is not correction, but to avoid relapse,” Grill said. “Relapse is possible without compliance.”
Grill also discussed new approaches to diagnosis including prenatal diagnosis. The Hallux duplex, vertical talas and lobster claw could all be seen during prenatal care.
“This is a great benefit to the parents,” Grill said. “They have the ability to discuss the problem and go over the solutions for the baby’s benefit.”
Grill F. The pediatric foot. Presented at the ORTHOPÄDIE + REHA-TECHNIK 2012 International Trade Show and World Congress. May 15-18. Leipzig, Germany.
