Why We Exist
The Foundation has made it possible for children with crippling growth problems to undergo surgical treatment to have their limbs lengthened and straightened. This surgery was previously only available in Russia and Germany.
As part of current treatment, an external fixator (metal frame) is placed around the child’s limb to support the affected bone. Pins are inserted through the child’s bone. These pins are regularly turned in order to break the bone and encourage new bone to form in the gap, mending the break and lengthening the bone. This treatment takes an average of four to six months, with the bone being stretched by a millimetre each day.
While this treatment aims to enable these children to grow up straight and strong, and to lead a normal life, it is long, painful and traumatic for both the child and their family. Infection is common due to a foreign body (pin) being present in the body. Many have called the treatment ‘barbaric’.
Leading Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr Bruce Foster, founded the Foundation in 1991, when he realised that little research work was being carried out to help find alternative forms of treatment for these children.
With Dr Foster as Chairman, we began with one part-time fundraising/administrative officer and one scientist sharing laboratory space with other hospital researchers at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH) in Adelaide. We now have a staff of nine and our own research laboratory at the WCH.
