Polio revisited: reviving knowledge and skills to meet the challenge of resurgence.
review · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 26362170.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1007/s11832-015-0678-4 and PMC identifier 4619376.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
To date, polio has not been eradicated and there appears to be a resurgence of the disease. Hence, there is a need to revive decision-making skills to treat the effects of polio. Here, we outline the aspects of treatment of paralysis following polio based on the literature and personal experience of the authors. The surgical treatment of the lower and upper extremities and the spine have been reviewed. The scope of bracing of the lower limb has been defined. The effects of polio can be mitigated by judicious correction of deformities, restoration of muscle balance, stabilising unstable joints and compensating for limb length inequality. As polio has not been eradicated and there is a risk of resurgence of the disease, paediatric orthopaedic surgeons need to be prepared to deal with fresh cases of polio. Revival of old techniques for managing the effects of paralysis following polio is needed.