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Early treatment with serial corrective plaster casts

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  • Early treatment with serial corrective plaster casts

    Hello,
    My name is Heather and I have a 6yr old with severe infantile scoliosis. We are currently maintaining her severe curves with serial corrective plaster casts.
    In 2002, we created a website called infantilescoliosis.com in effort to share our story, and the success of the halo cast treatment that my daughter "Olivia," had undergone. It was obvious at the time, that there were more parents out there searching for up to date care.
    The site allowed me to make connections with families and doctors from all over the world. Thank goodness for the internet!
    In 2002 I was introduced to Dr. Min Mehta from The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, England who had recently retired. Dr. Mehta has an org in England called Arise. This org is dedicated to the early treatment of progressive infantile scoliosis with serial corrective PLASTER casts. Dr. Mehta has straightened over 100 infants/young children with this treatment and has followed their progress for over 10 yrs. They remain straight.
    This successful non surgical treatment for infants/young children with progressive infantile scoliosis was the inspiration for the development of the Arise Foundation in the U.K., and has also prompted the development of their sister org in the U.S., called The Infantile Scoliosis Outreach Program (I.S.O.P.). I.S.O.P. is currently collaborating with Arise, The Shriners in SLC and Cerebral Palsy of Colorado, to make this superior treatment available to more families in the U.S.
    I.S.O.P. is also distributing an informational video that was produced by Arise(our sister org) and their constituents, on the effects of early treatment with plaster casts. All proceeds go to the Arise Foundation.
    Please check out infantilescoliosis.com for more success stories, a very active support group, and the video.

    Sincerely,
    Heather Hyatt
    Exec. Director
    The Infantile Scoliosis Outreach Program

  • #2
    casting...

    I hope this doesn't sound dumb but you talked about casting for young children...have you ever heard of it being done on older children? The reason I ask is that our orthopedic doctor wanted to put a cast on my 12 year old daughter. My daughter has Kyphoscoliosis and was prescribed a Milwaukee brace which she didn't do well with. The doctor wanted to "stretch her out" and put a cast on her for six weeks, remove that one and rex-ray her. If he wasn't completely satisfied with the result, he would do the whole process over and then after six-twelve weeks in a cast, put her back in a brace. Oh, by the way, that was option number 1 and option number 2 was surgery. Thank you.

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    • #3
      casting adolescents/Mary Lou

      Hi Mary Lou,
      That is not a dumb question at all.
      It sounds like you have found a great doctor! Serial corrective plastercasts are not widely used in the U.S., and especially for older children.
      Although, in pockets of western Europe serial corrective casts ARE used up until children are no longer growing.
      I speak regularly with a plaster cast technician in Belgium who casts adolescents all the time.
      I can send you pictures of an adolescent being casted if you like. If the curve is treated early and the patient is still growing, a series of serial corrective plaster casts may help straighten. If the curves are severe, casts can atleast help maintain curves. This all depends of course on that particular child.
      I wish it was as easy as just appling a cast, but its not. Other factors are involved, such as the flexibility of the child, where the curves are and to what degree they have progressed, if the patient has any other syndromes, etc.

      let me know if you would like me to send the pictures,
      sincerely,
      Heather

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