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ORTHOPAEDIC CLINIC
Dr. A. Karim—School Medical Officer
The Clinic, which was begun in 1971, has firmly established itself as a useful adjunct to the
specialist services available to the school health and child health services.
127 children, pre-school and school children, were examined during 1972 for a variety of
orthopaedic problems. The commonest of these were knock-knees, flat feet and weak ankle joints.
7 children were referred to the Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon to the Borough for further
investigation and treatment.
Treatments of foot and ankle defects generally are divided into three main categories:—
The first treatment group consists of young children, mainly toddlers and children in infant
schools; these children are fitted with inneraze shoes which improve the posture; foot exercises
are given regularly to enhance the muscle tone and power of the older child.
The second treatment group consists of only seven children who have weak ankles and wear
their shoes down badly on the outer surfaces. Insoles are fitted which support the ankle joint,
correct posture and relieve pain in the foot. When regular foot exercises are carried out, improvement
is noticeably quicker.
The third treatment group is based upon foot exercises only which are supervised by the physiotherapist.
Generally this method is not suitable for the pre-school child and improvement among the
older school child is slow due to long standing postural defects of the feet and lower legs.
PHYSIOTHERAPY SERVICE
Mrs. J. M. Gilboy—Senior Physiotherapist
Physiotherapy is the use of physical means to prevent injury, to treat both injury and disease
and to assist the process of rehabilitation by developing and restoring the function of the body so
that the patient may lead or return to as active and independent life as possible. The main method of
treatment at Uxbridge Clinic is therapeutic movement or remedial exercise.
As before, the bulk of patients attending the clinic are those with minor foot and leg defects for
correction exercises. Fewer pre-school patients have been selected and attended for treatment during
1972 than in the previous year and more children of school age attended than in 1971. This year,
more physically handicapped children in the higher age group have been referred for treatment or
observation concerning their particular conditions from the Meadow School and Hedgewood
School.
Total number of treatments at Uxbridge Clinic for physiotherapy during 1972 565; an average
of 2 sessions per week.
Moorcroft School
The number of treatments given at Moorcroft School during 1972 was 682. Certain of these
treatments were grouped activities, but many were individual since a considerable number of the
children are severely physically handicapped and must be treated separately.
Three orthopaedic clinics were arranged during the year, one per term, at which Mr. P. I.
Busfield, F.R.C.S. attended. These clinics enabled the parents, patients, surgeon and physiotherapist
to be present together to discuss the child's medical problems in familiar surroundings. As a result,
among the children presented for examination and advice, two were selected for surgery in the near
future, and the management of the remaining patients decided upon.
Home visits by the physiotherapists during the half-term and full-term holidays continued to
be a most valuable feature of the general management of the severely physically handicapped
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