Contractures Definition : What Is Congenital Contractures?

What are congenital contractures?

Congenital contractures are rare articulation abnormalities inward the unborn child. The joints are inward an abnormal position, allowing the kid it tin alive actually difficult to move. Congenital contractures tin sit down downward inward nearly all joints, including the ankles, knees, elbows, wrists, finger joints every bit good every bit the spine (scoliosis). The problems arise inward the minute or 3rd month of pregnancy.

Congenital contractures is non an isolated disease. Rather it is a outcome of other problems during pregnancy:

1. Babies amongst contractures oftentimes select to a greater extent than nascency defects. The close mutual drive of congenital contractures is voorhoornceldegeneratie.
2. Contractures may also occur because the babe has literally non enough room to movement inward the womb. For example, if inwards that house is non enough amniotic fluid.

Congenital contractures tin non alive cured, but the effects of the articulation abnormalities tin alive treated well. Exercise therapy helps to build the joints to a greater extent than flexible. It involves passive exercises.

Medical names for congenital contractures are: arthogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC), amyoplasie every bit good every bit congenital contractures. The affliction is rare every bit good every bit occurs inward 1 inward 3000 newborns. In boys every fleck much every fleck girls.

What causes congenital contractures?

Congenital contractures normally occur or every bit good every bit together with then the minute or 3rd month of pregnancy. The babe does non movement sufficiently inward the abdomen. As a result, a lot of additional forms of connectedness tissue or every bit good every bit together with then the joints, which are thereby less mobile. Eventually the joints testament stiffen every bit good every bit increasingly on the popular off 4th dimension warp.

Why the kid moves every fleck goodness trivial inward the womb? This may alive the outcome of a whole accomplish of diseases:

1. Diseases of the nervous system. This is inward 90% of cases, the drive of congenital contracture. Examples of such diseases are voorhoornceldegeneratie, spina bifida every bit good every bit cerebral palsy.
2. Muscle diseases, such every fleck about congenital muscular dystrophies or congenital myopathies, or abnormalities of the connectedness tissue or every bit good every bit together with then the muscle. These diseases are inward virtually 10% of the cases, the drive of congenital contracture.
3. Sometimes the blood menstruum to the uterus is non good, causing nerve, musculus or bone terms inward the baby.
4. Too trivial room for maneuver inward the womb. For instance if inwards that house is every fleck goodness trivial amniotic fluid or inward an abnormal shape of the uterus.
5. Disease inward the adult woman heighten that give an increased direct chances of congenital contractures. For example, certain every bit shooting metabolic disorders, diabetes every bit good every bit multiple sclerosis.
6. Congenital contractures tin also alive hereditary. There appear to alive both dominant every bit good every bit recessive inherited forms of the disease. By dominant inheritance the kid has a 50% peril to acquire the disease. With recessive inheritance is 25%.

How do you lot lot know if your babe has congenital contractures?

Usually represents a pediatric neurologist create upwards one's hear that a kid has congenital contractures. But also tin assistance other physicians inward the diagnosis, such every fleck a genetic counselor.

First, the physician does a thorough physical examination. She looks which joints differ every bit good every bit how they differ. In addition, trying to figure out the physician making the contractures select arisen. If the kid has an illness?
Whether the drive is the mother? The study of the adult woman heighten is done past a gynecologist.

The study your kid further comprises:

1. An MRI every bit good every bit / or CT scan of joints every bit good every bit muscles;
2. Blood tests;
3. X-rays;
4. Examination of a modest spell of musculus tissue of the kid under the microscope (muscle biopsy).

Doctors suspect inwards that house is a genetic disease, it is a genetic testing.

Using prenatal diagnosis the physician tin sometimes create upwards one's hear if an unborn kid has congenital contractures. For example, inward people who already select a kid amongst this disease. How serious the illness testament alive is impossible to predict.

Treatment of congenital contractures

Congenital contractures are unavoidable, but inwards that house is something to do amongst the articulation abnormalities.

Often, unlike operations are necessary to laid joints inward a better position:

• The joints of the feet every bit good every bit legs are discussed first. 90% of children amongst this affliction has a so-called "club foot," a severe deformation of the foot. Shortly afterward birth, the kid gets cast on the foot. If this does non assist adjacent surgery if your kid is three to six months old.
• After the legs follow the joints inward the upper half of the body. By that time, the kid is to a greater extent than oftentimes than non a trivial older, every bit good every bit together with then that it tin actively operate on treatment.
• The spine follows last. In a crooked or curved spine (scoliosis), for instance a spinal fusion may alive required. This is an functioning inward which the spine is beingness put.

These operations are normally performed past an orthopedic surgeon. After such surgery has a kid removable splints or braces. Sometimes, it gets a gypsum pants.

Further, your kid is under the assist of a rehabilitation doctor. Together amongst the orthopedic surgeon it makes a handling plan. Your kid gets do to build the joints to a greater extent than flexible. The kid is doing passive exercises which the therapist moves the joints of your child. It also helps rehabilitation physician inward choosing tools every fleck a walking brace. It teaches your kid how to salvage themselves every fleck goodness every fleck possible.

Often inwards that house are also other experts inward the handling team. For example, physiotherapists or occupational therapists, psychologists every bit good every bit social workers.