Identifying Bone Deformity
Identifying a Bone Deformity
Identifying a bone deformity is fairly easy if the bone is twisted or curved significantly enough that anyone could visually look at it and see that something is definitely wrong. However, sometimes, the deformities are less noticeable. In these cases, a doctor must do a thorough examination of the limb that is being disfigured. Measurements are taken to compare it with the other matching limb. X-rays and bone density analysis tests are sometimes also needed too.
Causes
There are a multitude of causes of bone deformities. They can occur due to a difficult birth, which leads to a baby being born with bones bent out of shape. In congenital bone deformities such as this, the child's bones generally straighten out on their own by the age of nine. If the don't by the age of ten, treatment is needed though. Severely obese teenagers and adults who are already finished growing also experience bone deformities if their weight is so high that their bones simply cannot support it correctly anymore. Also, if a bone is broken from an injury, but it does not heal correctly, this can lead to it growing back together in an irregular shape. Cancer that is spread to the bones can disfigure them as well. …show more content…
Types of Bone Deformities
There are four basic types of bone deformities.
The first one is an angulation. This means that the bone is bent in an outward curved position. The next is a torsion, which leads to the bone being contorted into a twist. A translation refers to the bone moving out of its original naturally straight position. It is mostly common with broken bones. And the last kind of bone deformity is a limb discrepancy. This means that the limb is straight, but not of a normal size if compared to the other limb. For example, a person having one leg shorter than the other would have a limb discrepancy.
Bone Deformity
Correction
Bone deformities impair a person's ability to live a normal life because of the restrictions that they put on their movement and coordination. Therefore, correcting the the deformity is important to them being able to lead a normal life. The methods of correction depend on the type of bone deformity and the age of the patient. If the person is still young, their growth plates are still open. This makes correction easier, because a less invasive procedure called “stapling” can be done. Stapling means that a staple is put into the growth plate on one side of the bone to discourage growth in that location. The other side of the growth plate is left open. This causes the bone to continue to grow in the required direction to straighten out the appearance. Those who are already passed the point of puberty generally have to have their bones cut and re-stabilized to correct them. Sometimes, the stabilization is done internally, but external stabilization is the preferred method because it is a much less invasive and painful procedure.
Identifying a bone deformity is fairly easy if the bone is twisted or curved significantly enough that anyone could visually look at it and see that something is definitely wrong. However, sometimes, the deformities are less noticeable. In these cases, a doctor must do a thorough examination of the limb that is being disfigured. Measurements are taken to compare it with the other matching limb. X-rays and bone density analysis tests are sometimes also needed too.
Causes
There are a multitude of causes of bone deformities. They can occur due to a difficult birth, which leads to a baby being born with bones bent out of shape. In congenital bone deformities such as this, the child's bones generally straighten out on their own by the age of nine. If the don't by the age of ten, treatment is needed though. Severely obese teenagers and adults who are already finished growing also experience bone deformities if their weight is so high that their bones simply cannot support it correctly anymore. Also, if a bone is broken from an injury, but it does not heal correctly, this can lead to it growing back together in an irregular shape. Cancer that is spread to the bones can disfigure them as well. …show more content…
Types of Bone Deformities
There are four basic types of bone deformities.
The first one is an angulation. This means that the bone is bent in an outward curved position. The next is a torsion, which leads to the bone being contorted into a twist. A translation refers to the bone moving out of its original naturally straight position. It is mostly common with broken bones. And the last kind of bone deformity is a limb discrepancy. This means that the limb is straight, but not of a normal size if compared to the other limb. For example, a person having one leg shorter than the other would have a limb discrepancy.
Bone Deformity
Correction
Bone deformities impair a person's ability to live a normal life because of the restrictions that they put on their movement and coordination. Therefore, correcting the the deformity is important to them being able to lead a normal life. The methods of correction depend on the type of bone deformity and the age of the patient. If the person is still young, their growth plates are still open. This makes correction easier, because a less invasive procedure called “stapling” can be done. Stapling means that a staple is put into the growth plate on one side of the bone to discourage growth in that location. The other side of the growth plate is left open. This causes the bone to continue to grow in the required direction to straighten out the appearance. Those who are already passed the point of puberty generally have to have their bones cut and re-stabilized to correct them. Sometimes, the stabilization is done internally, but external stabilization is the preferred method because it is a much less invasive and painful procedure.