Clinical Patterns Of Presentation Of Limb Deficiency In Children In The Roehampton Clinic

Limb deficiency is rare in children and varies from almost undetectable to complete absence and those with sufficient severity thought to warrant prosthetic prescriptions are referred to the rehabilitation clinics. Number of cases with longitudinal and distal transverse deficiencies are managed by paediatric orthopaedic and plastic surgical colleagues with interest in management of limb malformations. The initial care is directed not just at the index child but towards parents, siblings, carers, and school staff. It is vital the child has access to all the professional skills needed to achieve the optimal result Specialist staff involved - paediatric, orthopaedic, plastic surgical, rehabilitation - should communicate freely and form a co- ordinated plan of management for the individual child according to the clinical and social background, avoiding conflict of advice and inappropriate timing of treatment. The parents are invariably and understandably anxious and concerned and should form part of the multidisciplinary structure Management of the limb deficient child whatever the cause, differs in many aspects from that of the adult amputee. This study analyses the varying clinical presentations of limb deficiencies in children attending Roehampton Clinic in preparation study their pattern of prosthetic to use