Sports loving boy finds new adventures after orthopaedic surgery
Surgery and a holistic approach to care helped an eight-year-old diagnosed with Perthes Disease to stay positive and active.
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At age 7, Jack Farmer was diagnosed with Perthes Disease, a childhood disorder that affects the head of the femur, i.e. the thighbone. As a result, blood supply to the growth plate at the end of the femur becomes inadequate, and the bone softens and even breaks down. Mobility can be greatly affected as the disease progresses.“When first diagnosed, Jack’s condition was not very serious so we opted to put him on crutches and a wheelchair to minimize weight bearing and allow for his femur to heal naturally,” Dr Liu King Lok, Orthopaedic Surgeon at Matilda International Hospital with special interest in Children’s orthopaedic conditions, explained that rest was initially recommended to ease his discomfort.
Unfortunately Jack’s condition worsened and he received surgery 20 days after his diagnosis. “We rotated his deteriorated femur internally, so that the disease part of hip (femoral head) is rotated out of the original critical weight bearing area; hence allowing the optimal environment for natural regeneration to take place. Jack recovered very well after the procedure but he could not do any sports within six months. Walking was all his legs could handle at that time,” explained Dr Liu.
Jack was always an active child, and an inspiration even with Perthes. Before he was ill, he had been engaged in all sorts of sports and an avid cyclist, having gone on cycling trips around Asia and loved cycling in the heavy rain. When he was unable to put strain to his legs during his rehabilitation, he began to learn to sail and hand-cycle, as alternative ways to stay active.
When Jack gets better, he has plans to play rugby again, as well as duathlons and BMX. He still plays football by balancing on one leg and his crutches.
