foot
King Khalid University Hospital has recorded a new global achievement in the procedure of lengthening the Achilles tendon behind the foot, as explained by Professor Mamoun bin Khaled Qarmali, Professor and Consultant of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery at the College of Medicine and King Khalid University Hospital at King Saud University. He mentioned that the Achilles tendon shortening in children leads to the raising of the heel from the ground while standing and walking, so the child is forced to walk on top of his fingers, and this shortness has several causes, including the constant muscle tension associated with cerebral palsy, and there is another type of recurrence which is known as the child''s beginning to learn to walk on tiptoe First, it starts and then gets used to that, which leads to real shortening of the tendon after a period of time, and the third reason is related to the meningeal fissure in the lower spine.
The condition often starts out simple and then becomes more difficult as the tendon becomes shorter over time. The available treatment methods usually start with physical therapy and exercises to lengthen the tendon with plastic splints or the use of a full plaster cast around the foot and leg that is changed every week until the heel descends to the ground. In the vast majority of cases these conservative methods do not lead to a reliable result, so pediatric orthopedists resort to severe cases and those that do not respond to conservative treatment to surgical intervention by lengthening the Achilles tendon by cutting it into two long halves, and then reconnecting it with surgical stitches and then closing the wound And a plaster cast for six weeks.
Such an operation takes about half an hour, and it requires cutting the tendon completely, then reconnecting it, and ending with a long surgical scar behind the lower leg, and such operations are done after the third year of life, except in severe cases, as it can be performed before that. The importance of the operation is that if it is not performed at the appropriate time decided by the attending physician, the situation may lead to the growth of the foot bones in a diagonal manner, which requires a surgical intervention to cut the bones, re-modify them, release the joint, in addition to lengthening the tendon.
By the grace of God, this modern method has recently been developed by the Pediatric Orthopedic Unit at the College of Medicine and King Khalid University Hospital, whereby the tendon is lengthened by sliding method without any surgical opening, using regular needle pricks, which does not leave any surgical traces or scarring at all. There is almost no possibility of infections or increased lengthening than the normal limit necessary, and the lengthening process takes less than one minute per foot, and (12) cases have been performed in this way so far.
It is worth noting that King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University, is the first hospital in the world to perform this operation in this way, praise be to God.
Dr. Mamoun Qarmali pointed out that the pediatric orthopedic unit at King Khalid University Hospital is the largest pediatric orthopedic unit in the Middle East, and the department''s employees have effective attendance and participation in various international and local forums, in addition to publishing a number of distinguished research and developing existing operations and performing surgical interventions. In the treatment of pediatric orthopedics and hip dislocations, no one has ever seen it, thank God.
For his part, the Dean of the College of Medicine and the Supervisor of University Hospitals, Prof. Dr. Musaed bin Muhammad Al-Salman confirmed that with this achievement, the Department of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery at the College of Medicine and King Khalid University Hospital is registering a new and distinguished addition to the College of Medicine and University Hospitals, not only this, but also for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the hands of national cadres Qualified and trained.
He added: Such pioneering expertise in the field of pediatric orthopedics will be transferred to various hospitals inside and outside the Kingdom.
He indicated that the Kingdom, praise be to God, has become an exporter of knowledge and expertise after it was imported to him. And Dr. Al-Salman praised God Almighty for this achievement by Professor Mamoun Qarmali and extended his thanks and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and his trustworthy Crown Prince, may God protect them for the support and interest that university hospitals find.
