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BROKEN bones are a challenge for any hospital but when the bones are the neck of femur, or hip bone, coupled with plateau at the top of the shin bone, and the patient suffers from post-polio paralysis of the lower legs, that challenge takes on far greater proportions.
This was what faced Dr Sumod Sukumaran orthopaedic surgeon Al Hilal Hospital at the end of April when a 31-year-old man came into the emergency department suffering severe pain in his right hip and knee.
The patient had been operated on for a broken femur five months before and this time X-rays revealed fractures to the neck of femur - the ball and socket joint at the top of the leg - and also the proximal tibia - the flat section at the top of the shin bone.
Both are very complicated fractures made worse by being on the same side, the bones being osteoporitic, the bone anatomy being distorted and other issues including the paralysis of the lower limbs.
The patient was operated on and the tibial fracture was fixed using close reduction and internal fixation with a plate and screws and the neck of femur was fixed using a hip compression screw with side plate and supplemental screw.
Both were repaired during one operation under general anaesthesia and the patient is now recovering well and taking non-weight bearing exercise using a walker following physiotherapy.
The result shows the expertise available at Al Hilal Hospital in Muharraq which has an extensive orthopaedic treatment programme offering options from fixations with plating using the Ilizaro technique to plaster casting, management of osteo arthritis and physiotherapy for the relief of chronic pain.
The 50-bedded, multi-speciality hospital provides out and in-patient care and services are supported by diagnostic and outpatient treatment services which use the latest technology.
Al Hilal Hospital has a state-of-the-art accident and emergency wing, six-bedded ICU, two operating theatres with male and female recovery rooms, a fully-fledged labour theatre and baby care unit and various other facilities.
