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(h) Orthopaedic and Postural Defects.
Orthopaedic Defects were, as in previous years, treated at the Special
Clinic held at the Central Hall, Fore Street, N.9.
Mr. J. A. Cholmeley, the Orthopaedic Specialist, has submitted the
following report:—
"The Orthopaedic Clinic has passed through difficult times during the
past two years, owing to changes of physiotherapists and periods when there
was no one available to do this important work, but this is now satisfactorily
settled.
"During the war the number of surgeon's sessions had to be reduced
to one a month owing to the shortage of available orthopaedic surgeons, but
with the appointment of additional surgical staff at the Royal National
Orthopaedic Hospital, it has been possible to increase the number of sessions
to three a month which are attended by Mr. James, M.S., F.R.C.S. (and I
myself therefore have not attended the Edmonton Clinic since September of
last year).
"Analysis of 167 new cases examined in 1946, shows that 51 were
diagnosed as suffering from Flat Feet, and 37 under a miscellaneous heading;
as the classification is quite a full one I wonder if these other conditions are
the very slight abnormalities about which I have been speaking in my letter.
The number of cases of Flat Feet is high, but the one thing that a classification
such as this omits is whether the condition was causing any symptoms and
whether it is considered necessary for the patient to have any treatment. From
what I have seen, however, a large number of the cases of Flat Feet referred
to the clinics do not require treatment, as there are no symptoms, and they
wear their shoes satisfactorily and apart from that no simple treatment is going
to alter the shape of the feet.
"The Stanmore Cripples' Training College was re-opened in September,
1946, and two Edmonton boys are now being trained there. One in bootmaking,
including surgical boots and repairs, and the other in watch and clockmaking
and repair."
The attendances for treatment by the physiotherapist during the year
year were 1,959.
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