Bryant's Traction 101

With our Hip Chick beginning Bryant's Traction in four days, it is good timing to relay additional detail about this first leg of her process.  For our daughter, hip dysplasia means that her left hip is fully dislocated.  Her hip socket developed more like a "slope" than a "cup" and so there is no place to securely hold the femur in place.  Because of this, the ball joint never developed.  What holds her hip together is a collection of overdeveloped muscles, tendons, and ligaments.  She looks like she has a gymnast's quads and gluts.  She is remarkably swift for a child who has no good reason for her left leg to be mobile.

In order to make the next phase of her treatment more successful, traction is the first step.  The overdeveloped musculature needs to be stretched and softened.  Ideally, this process will allow the femur to begin pulling back toward the "socket."  On her surgery date, they will have to operate on the musculature in her groin area to fully release the femur to be reset.  By doing the traction first, they aim to make this process safer and more successful.  Her clinical team also explained that during this process, however long/invasive it must become, it is paramount that the integrity of her hip's circulation and blood flow remain in tact.  Should this be disturbed, risks range from early onset of arthritic conditions to, in extreme cases, destruction of bone due to lack of blood supply..  Traction is also supposed to help her medical team maintain the circulation.

Scottish Rite has explained to us that the use of traction is technically considered experimental.  The hard data regarding its use is still being developed.  Should we wish to contribute (which we will), we can provide additional photos and documentation to aid in the research process.  Currently, it is their theory that traction is most effective if compliance is achieved between 50% and 100%, save meals and sponge baths.  Our goal is to keep her in traction 24 hrs/day, except for those times.

The traction device is comprised of a light colored PVC pipe.  The weights will be attached to her leg via a pulley system.  She will have surgical grade tape on her legs, which will be wrapped with an outer layer of ACE bandages.  The tape cannot get wet.  So, once she is taped on Monday, she will not have a bath until her spica cast is removed- no baths (save careful sponge baths) for approx. six months. 

The traction device is supposed to be somewhat mobile; we can move it from her crib to different rooms in the house.  We will also be provided with a wagon (think Radio Flyer meets Doogie Howser) with which we can pull her around the house or, if we feel spunky, public settings. 

It is difficult to fully envision this for our hippie in my mind's eye, even with the aid of photographs.  We will see for ourselves soon enough.