Treatment Using the Orthofix eight-Plate
The Orthofix eight-Plate or ‘Guided Growth Plate’ is a unique, figure-eight shaped device about the size of a paper clip that allows gradual correction of your child’s limb deformity by slowing growth on one side of a joint. The screws attaching the eight-Plate to the bone intentionally diverge like a hinge, allowing the growth plate to expand more on one side of the bone as the child grows. This hinge action avoids compressing the side of the growth plate that is being restrained, so that when the deformity is corrected, normal growth will resume on both sides of the growth plate.
The Surgical Procedure
Implantation of the eight-Plate is a short, minimally invasive surgical procedure performed on an outpatient basis. There’s less surgical involvement and pain, no long hospital stay, the patient can walk and bear weight immediately, and physical therapy is rarely necessary.
Surgical implantation of the eight-Plate is performed under anesthesia and takes about an hour. During the procedure, the surgeon will make a 2-3 cm (approximately 1”) incision at the physis of the bone to be corrected. The eight-Plate is secured to the bone with two small titanium screws. For “knock knees” the eight-Plate is placed on the medial side of the bone (i.e., inner side); for bowed legs, the eight-Plate is placed on the lateral side of the bone (i.e., outer side). Multiple deformities can be addressed during the same procedure, inserting one eight-Plate per physis (growth plate). At the end of the procedure, the incision is closed, usually with resorbable sutures. After recovery from anesthesia, your child may be taken home.
Post-Operative Recovery
Your child should be able to return to many of his or her normal activities within 1 to 3 weeks as comfort permits. No casting is required after guided growth using the eight-Plate, and immediate weight bearing is encouraged. As with any surgical procedure, pain is to be expected but should decrease during the first 2 weeks after surgery and be gone almost completely by 4 weeks after surgery. If pain persists, contact your surgeon. Participation in school physical education programs or sports can be resumed after consulting your surgeon.
Correction Occurs Gently Over Time
The eight-Plate temporarily restrains growth on one side of the growth plate while natural growth is allowed to continue on the opposite side. Gradually over time, the deformity is corrected — typically from several months up to one year. To ensure timely and adequate correction, your child needs to be seen by the surgeon every 3 months for a check-up. If your child cannot return to the surgeon every 3 months, due to distance for example, another doctor should take x-rays of the legs. The most accurate film is a full length view taken in the standing position. Send these x-rays to the surgeon who implanted the eight-Plate. When the deformity is corrected, the surgeon will remove the eight-Plate, under anesthesia, in an outpatient surgery.
Sometimes, our children need a little extra correction. And if that correction is needed for a joint deformity, rest assured that you and your child are not alone. We understand that surgery on our little ones is traumatic for you and the child, but consistent correction and gratifying clinical results have been achieved with guided growth using the eight-Plate.
