A 19-year-old girl whose lower limbs were paralysed was admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital over a year ago and has now been treated for the condition. She can walk and carry on her daily activities.
The girl, from Elampillai in Salem, was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called neurofibroma, which occurs approximately one in 3,000 births. Children with this disorder frequently develop orthopaedic problems, the most common being scoliosis or curvature of the spine.
The patient was admitted on February 17, 2018 with complaints of not having walked for over three months. At the hospital’s Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, doctors from the ortho spine surgery unit examined her. They deduced that she had developed a severe deformity of the upper thoracic spine, resulting in a complete loss of sensation in her legs. She also had skin patches.
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A team headed by chief spine surgeon Dr. Nalli R. Uvaraj and Dr. Jvaghar Jill, under the guidance of HOD Dr. Deen Mohammed Ismail, started the treatment. After six weeks, she showed signs of recovery after which she was administered further treatment. In September, she was given a bone graft to fuse and stabilise the spine using special screws and rods. After this, she showed improvement in the lower limbs. She started walking with support. She was discharged on December 11 and was advised to continue therapy. She can now walk without help and hopes to resume her studies.