PROCEDURES
PAEDIATRIC ORTHOPAEDICS

As a compassionate and caring orthopaedic surgeon with children of his own Dr Joubert is attentive with his paediatric patients. Children are often victim to various orthopaedic injuries like broken bones, in which case he can assist in the treatment and management of these injuries. Children may also be injured in trauma or suffer from various growth disorders such as bow legs, club foot and limb deformities, for which treatment may be more complex.

WHAT ORTHOPAEDIC CONDITIONS ARE COMMON AMONG CHILDREN?

While some conditions can correct themselves over time, others may need surgery to correct. Children may be affected by the following orthopaedic conditions:

• Trauma – as young children are active, broken bones and injuries are common. By the time children begin to partake in sport, sports injuries can occur in almost every sport. When needed, Dr Joubert can assist in the treatment of these injuries, be it surgical or non-surgical methods.
• Fractures and pseudoarthrosis - depending on where the fracture is and how severe it is, treatment may involve a splint, brace, plaster cast or surgical placement of metal rods and plates. In cases where a bone fracture fails to heal properly on its own (pseudoarthrosis) your child may require further treatment from an orthopaedic surgeon.
• Flatfeet – children who don’t develop arches may be diagnosed with this condition. While flatfeet usually doesn’t cause problems, if this condition is painful treatment may involve surgery known as a foot lift.
• Toe walking – when a child persistently walks on his or her toes it may be beneficial to cast the foot and ankle and provide physiotherapy to stretch the calf muscles and treat this condition.
• Pigeon toes – this orthopaedic condition occurs when the leg is rotated inward due to a greater-than-normal bend in the upper part of the leg. This condition tends to correct itself as the child grows but if not may need surgery to correct.
• Bowlegs – this condition is characterised by exaggerated bending outward of the legs from the knees down. It is usually inherited but may also be caused by rickets or the growth disorder, Blount disease. Bowlegs are usually treated with osteotomy surgery as non-surgical methods are not effective.
• Knock-knees – this s a common condition in which the knees tend to tilt inward. It usually straightens on its own but may require osteotomy surgery in severe cases when it doesn’t.
• Limb discrepancies - in cases where one limb is longer than another, causing posture problems and other complications, Dr Joubert may do limb lengthening surgery using internal or external fixation.
• Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) – this condition is common among teens and pre-teens who are still growing in which the head of the thighbone slips off the neck of the bone in a backwards direction causing pain, stiffness, and instability in the hip joint. In almost all cases surgery is advised to correct this.