United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hi, my daughter didn't have the mq she had a humeral osteotomy and lost the ability to reach behind her back. we knew this might be the outcome and chose to go ahead anyway. She uses her arm so much more now without prompting and honestly, losing the reach behind her back hasn't been a problem. She still wears jeans just ones with a snap (no buttons) or elastic. I know every situation is different, this one worked for us. Good luck to you. Sorry to go off topic.

This thread is awesome...

why? b/c it's the first thread in a long time where I can honestly say that I feel like I'm getting unemotional information....real information....

just knowing that we have to be educated and aware...it's so difficult sometimes to get the education w/o biases (defensive parents), egos (doctors), and fear getting in the way.

thank you...

hello,

It was just recommended or suggested that my daughter have Osteotomy of the humerus for her to gain more midline function. How is your daughter doing since the surgery?

Thank you!!!

Vallen will be 8 in a month and had the mod quad at 13 months. She lost the ability to reach behind her back. However we knew this going in. It was a tough decision, but it came down to what function you will use more in everyday living. So we opted for the surgery because we felt reaching above her head was much more important in life than reaching behind her back. When she was 2 and 3 and staring gymnastics and ballet and she couldn't put her hand on her hip I was sad. I wondered if we had done the right thing. However...she can get her hand on her hip now! So never give up! It took a LONG time to get there as does every function with this injury, but she can do it now! I went to watch the performance at Cheer Camp today and there she was putting it right on her hip! She can't get it as high as a bra yet, but close and we keep working on it! She doesn't do it quite the "normal" way, but she is doing it. So keep working on it. She may just get it! You know we were also told she would never be able to put a ponytail in her hair, and she does it all the time.
Raina

DawnV,
She is really doing great. She just started karate and I noticed she uses her left hand to put her right on her hip. she does this now without thinking of it. In fact, her instuctor asked her about it and Dani told her it's what I need to do. This surgery made a world of difference to Dani. She can do her hair by herself, she dresses herself. It gave her alot more confidence in her actions and her self awareness. This is just our experience. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me. Good Luck. It is a very hard decision to make.
-Dawn

To the original poster, Can't Reach to Her Back:

I am sure your answer would be yes, but have you tried working on this in different ways as far as exercising the arm to do this motion? Sometimes it can be helped to a degree.
My daughter was never able to get her hand behind her back even before her secondary surgery so it wasn't a lose to us that she couldn't do it after the surgery. We were most concerned with the more functional movements of her arm like getting it up higher and being able to move it in more directions than prior to surgery. Did I know she may not be able to get it behind her back after this surgery? No, I didn't. I guess it never came as an issue to me b/c she couldn't do it to begin with anyway.
It has been over 2 years since my daughter had her surgery and just recently have we been able to teach her how to move her arm to get it behind her back. She cannot accomplish this simply. Her therapist taught her a specific motion to get it going up there. She stands up, she brings her injured hand just behind and below her butt and slides it up against her body. She can get it up behind there while doing this. Her scapula wings terribly though. It is actually hard to look at in this position. Some other things that have worked with this is one exercise that we do with her therapist. We sit on a little chair near her chalk-board wall. She sits with her injured side almost against the chalk board. As I stabalize her scapula she draws nice big circles on the board in the direction back to forth and then opposite. This encourages her to move her arm towards her back and works the shoulder as well.
What I am trying to say is that maybe this isn't lost fully and forever. I had that though at one point about my daughter not being able to get that hand behind her back. Today, it is VERY hard for her, but she CAN do it unassisted. Can she do it every time she tries? No. BUT she can get it there and this is a start!
My daughter did not have a Mod Quad surgery, but I answered this post to tell you my experience with this issues and problems of getting that hand behind the back. It is also an issue for us getting her hand directly on her hip, but again, we are working on it and so far she is trying hard and doing well. I hope and pray that things will get even better for her. I hope the same is true for you and your child. Good luck.

For the parents, not getting our hands behind our backs might be a bigger deal to you than it is to those of us with injuries (Not every one, I can't speak for all). Personally I have found that I really dont need to reach behind my back. I can tuck in my shirt with only my left arm, there are trick that your children will learn, it just takes time. I even can put on a belt while weairing my jeans. I can reach far enough behind with my left arm that I can grab the belt from the front to finish putting my belt on. And as I wear my belt every day now it gets easier all the time.

Also loss of internal rotation is not that bad to deal with. I do have internal rotation but my muscles are weak so I have learned to button my eans as well as my shirts with just my left hand. There are tricks we all learn. I see my dad button his shirts with two hands and to me it seems harder and a waste of energy.

My experiences are not that of every one, so yes some are frustrated by the loss of the ability to reach behind or even to touch their tummy. But this is not the case for all. So do not feel bad for the decision of surgery. The ability to reach up will probably out weigh the inability to reach back.

Amy 19 ROBPI from MN

We were told that my daughter would never reach behind her back. She had a mod quad with a full pecs release. Three years after the surgery she was reaching behind her back and having no problem not only crossing midline but reaching her other shoulder.

You can't just say that every child will lose this or that. Each child is an individual and they are very different. I didn't mind that she wouldn't be able to reach behind her because she couldn't do it before then either so she wasn't going to lose anything but that she actually got it was a real bonus. So with that I will say that Mod Quad for my daughter was miraculous.

Thank you! I read on another read about two different Osteotomy of the humerus surgery. Did you daugther get a traditional or reverse? Molly is going to be reversed- internally rotated. Just wanted to clarify.

Thanks so much!!!!

Amy, I love your perspective on things. Thanks for sticking around and setting us straight!