Fixador Externo Treino de Marcha + Descarga de Peso Parcial Clínica de Fisioterapia Dr. Robson Sitta

▼ Contact: (11)2528.4661 - www.fisiositta.com.br DR. ROBSON SITTA PHYSIOTHERAPY CLINIC Rua Coriolano 1480 - Vila Romana (Lapa), São Paulo (SP) - Brazil FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ▼ YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb7a... ▼ INSTAGRAM:   / robson.sitta   ▼ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/fisiositta?f... ▼ LINKEDIN:   / robson-sit.  . ▼ WEBSITE: www.fisiositta.com.br #physiotherapy #orthopedics #manualtherapy #robsonsitta PHYSIOTHERAPY SPECIALIZED IN ORTHOPEDICS & MANUAL THERAPY Post-Operative Comminuted Fracture of the Proximal Tibial with External Fixator Distal Fracture of the Fibula Fixed with Plate and Screws What are external fixators? External fixators are devices used on the external part of the limbs (arm, forearm, thigh, leg) to promote bone fixation during orthopedic treatment. These devices are attached to the bones by transosseous wires or screw-in pins. What are they used for? They are applied to the upper limbs (arm, forearm and wrist) and lower limbs (hip, thigh, knee, leg and foot). They have several purposes: treatment of severe and multifragmentary fractures, correction of limb deformities, correction of poorly consolidated fractures, treatment of bone infection and tumors, bone lengthening, as well as pseudoarthrosis (fractures that do not consolidate). When is the use of external fixators necessary? The most common indication for fixators is for the initial treatment of fractures in multiple trauma patients – we call this “damage control”. They are also used in cases where fracture treatment with plates, screws and rods fails. Correction of deformities, whether caused by fractures or resulting from development, is preferably corrected with the use of fixators. However, the main use of external fixation is bone lengthening, in which the orthopedic doctor uses the fixator to achieve gradual bone growth of between 0.5 and 1 mm per day. How are they placed? External fixators are placed through a surgical procedure, with the patient properly anesthetized. This type of surgery must be carefully planned by the medical team, since all surgical steps, as well as the details of the assembly of the device, are studied in advance. How long does calcification take, on average, with the fixator and rod? The time required for bone healing depends on several variables, such as the severity of the fracture or deformity, the length of the bone to be lengthened, and the patient's health. Treatment time can vary between six months and one year, and in some cases, healing may occur before or after this period. How effective are fixators? Fixators are among the most effective surgical materials in terms of patient treatment results, as their effectiveness is based on perfect fracture stabilization and minimal aggression to the soft tissues surrounding the damaged bone. These characteristics are essential for bone healing. Are there several types of fixators? Fixators can be monolateral, circular, or hybrid. Monolateral fixators, as the name suggests, are smaller fixators that are positioned on only one side of the limb. Circular fixators occupy all sides of the limb, completely enveloping it – they are popularly called "cages". Hybrid fixators are a combination of monolateral and circular fixators, providing the benefits of both types of assembly. What are the post-surgical care measures? The patient must take care to clean the device by applying frequent dressings in the first few days after surgery. Another important care is related to the adjustments of the device, since the treatment at home is carried out by the patient and their family, supervised by the doctor during the follow-up appointments. The patient must apply dressings and encourage partial weight-bearing, aided by crutches, as soon as possible. Medical check-ups are periodic. How does the patient return to normal activities? Activities should be resumed as soon as the patient feels comfortable using the device and is free of pain. Since the treatment is long, it is essential that life returns to normal as soon as possible. Can complications occur during the use of the devices? What happens very frequently is infection along the path of the pins and bone wires. However, this can be prevented by cleaning these areas according to medical advice. Oral or topical antibiotics are occasionally used to treat these infections. And what about the results after using fixators? The goal of all treatments is to improve the patient's condition. In treatments with fixators, the goal is to achieve a position where the limbs are aligned, with a similar length to the contralateral limb and the ability to allow the patient to use them normally.