Treatment

The Orthofix eight-Plate or ‘Guided Growth Plate’ is a unique, figure-eight shaped device about the size of a paper clip that allows gradual correction of your child’s limb deformity. The screws attaching the eight-Plate to the bone intentionally diverge like a hinge allowing the growth plate to expand more on one side of the bone. This hinge action also avoids compressing the growth plate that is being restricted. And because of its flexibility, the chances for bending or breaking under the forces of bone growth are dramatically reduced.

Implantation of the eight-Plate is a short, minimally invasive surgical procedure performed on an outpatient basis. There’s no long hospital stay, less surgical trauma and pain, your child can walk and bear weight immediately, and physical therapy is rarely necessary.

Surgical implantation of the eight-Plate is performed under anesthesia and takes about an hour. During the procedure, the surgeon will make a 2-3 cm(approximately 1”) incision at the physis of the bone to be corrected. The eight-Plate is secured to the bone with two small titanium screws. For “knock knees” the eight-Plate is placed on the medial side of the bone (i.e., inner side); for bowed legs, the eight-Plate is placed on the lateral side of the bone (i.e., outer side). Multiple deformities can be addressed during the same procedure, inserting one eight-Plate per physis. The incision is closed, generally with resorbable sutures. After recovery from anesthesia, your child may be taken home.

No casting is required after guided growth using the eight-Plate, and immediate weight bearing is encouraged. Your child should be able to return to many of his or her normal activities within 1 to 3 weeks as comfort permits. As with any surgical procedure, pain is to be expected, but should decrease during the first 2 weeks after surgery and be gone almost completely by 4 weeks after surgery. If pain persists, contact your surgeon. Participation in school physical education programs or sports can be resumed after consulting

The eight-Plate temporarily restrains growth on one side of the bone plate while natural growth is allowed to continue on the opposite side. Gradually over time, (typically from several months up to one year) the deformity is corrected. To ensure timely and adequate correction, your child needs to be seen by the surgeon every 3 months for a check-up. If your child cannot return to the surgeon every 3 months, due to distance for example, another doctor should take x-rays of the legs (the most accurate film is a full length view taken in the standing position). Send these x-rays to the surgeon who implanted the eight-Plate. When the deformity is corrected, the surgeon will remove the eight-Plate, under anesthesia, in an out-patient surgery.

Sometimes, our children need a little extra correction.And if that correction is needed for a joint deformity, rest assured that you and your child are not alone. We understand that surgery on our little ones is traumatic for you and the child, but consistent correction and gratifying clinical results have been achieved with guided growth using the eight-Plate.

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