Donate| Shop| Site Map| Compliments & Complaints| Contact Us
 
 
You are here: Home > Services > Surgery > Orthopaedic Surgery > Spina Bifida Clinic
Orthopaedic Surgery
Botox Clinic
Hereditary Multiple Exostoses Clinic
Ilizarov Clinic
Limb Deficiency Clinic
Orthopaedic-Cerebral-Palsy-Clinic
Scoliosis clinic
Spina Bifida Clinic
Trauma Clinics
For families
For professionals
Health care team
Research
Contact us
 Quick Links
 
     
 

Spina bifida clinic

Dr. Alvarez and Dr. Beauchamp are the consulting orthopedic surgeons for the Spina Bifida Clinic. Spina bifida is a birth defect that affects the spinal cord causing partial or complete paralysis from the waist down. Because these children's legs often do not have much (or any) strength, the bones in the legs and muscles may not develop properly. Stiff joints, or muscle contractures occur in the feet, knees and hips affecting brace wear or good sitting positions in a wheelchair.

The orthopedic surgeon's role is to help the children maximize their potential for walking (with or without aids) or independent wheelchair use. This often means multiple surgeries to reduce the muscle contractures in the legs, or back surgery to correct a scoliosis deformity often seen in these children.
 
There are about 300 BC children with spina bifida who attend the clinic annually.