We would like to introduce you to a 10-year-old boy named, David, who will be the recipient of our fundraising efforts.
Please join us this Saturday at Sixteen Mile and purchase a Ranger bracelet to support David and One4Another charity.
He has a condition called, Injection Neuritis or Post Injection Paralysis. This is caused due to damage to the sciatic nerve due to a poorly administered injection for malaria. When children get really sick with malaria in villages they go to local clinics for malaria meds and often believe that it is most effective if given via injection. Local health clinics sometimes have poorly trained staff that give injections in the wrong spot. The toxicity of the medication and/or the needle itself damages part of the sciatic nerve which then causes a slow onset of lameness in the lower limb.
In many cases, there is a seizing of the Achilles tendon due to lack of blood supply and the child ends up walking on the ball of the foot with little movement in the foot itself.
Treating injection neuritis looks similar to the treatment for clubfoot. The child goes into casts to soften the tissues before having an operation to release the seized tendons and transfer tendons that are still viable so that the foot can improve it’s dorsiflexion and functionality. They are put into a brace while the foot regains strength and to offer support as the foot will never be perfect and will always have some weakness but at least he'll be able to walk on the right part of his foot without pain.
Treatment Outline:
Casts: to stretch the ankle and soft tissues before surgery. This makes for a more effective surgical reconstruction (3-4 weeks)
Surgery: to transfer tendons
Casts: while the foot heals in the proper position (4-8 weeks)
Braces: which he’ll wear for at least a year to prevent recurrence and support the foot