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Post by milkid on Jun 25, 2020 12:30:30 GMT
As a kid from the age of seven I was in bilateral patten ended callipers in seven inch suspension for five years, but this is not about me. One summer I was on holiday with my parents exactly where we went I can not remember. In our hotel was a boy about my age who was wearing a kind of anorak. It was a canvas type material and smock type being put on over the head. The anorak had a short length neck zip with the cords of the hood threaded through the heavy gauge zip fastener. The hood had been pulled so tight around his head only a smal part of his face was visible. He wore goggles to protect his eyes from the tight fit of the hood that covered them but he was still able to see in front as his head was tilted back and he could see through the bottom of the goggles. The hood cords where pulled around to the back of his head an tied and the bow/knot placed in a small blue plastic box with the top of the box screwed down making it impossible for him to access the tied hood cord. The waist of the anorak was tied tightly and it was plain to see this kid was in a brace under the anorak as aN impression front wide bar was visible under the anorak and so was something around his neck. At the back of his head again an impression was clearly visible under the hood up the back of his head.
The boy stayed in the anorak all the time except for meals when the hood was undone and hood pulled down revealing a milwaukee brace .that had been adjusted really high maintaining his neck in extension and tilting his head back. You could tell it was adjusted high becuase the chin pad was pushing up really hard under his chin
At the back was a large rear head pad and the sttel ring around his head had been adjusted as small as possible without chocking him so his head was tightly sandwiched and could not move it.
my parents and the boys parents got talking because we both had one thing in common, we were both quite extensivily braced. Mum asked his Dad what was the ting about the anorak. He told us because his milwaukee brace is severley applied, this being the hight it had been adjusted and the neck ring adjusted until he could not move his head and instead of a pelvic girdle usually used for normal milwaukee braces his had been substituted for a full brace corset made of hardened leather extending from on his buttock to underarm and kept at anunforgiving tightness.
His parent told us because of the extensive fitting of his brace which he has to wear 23 hours a day he constantly tried loosening the brace corset, lowering the front bar and various other things not allowed. Because of this we had him put in this anorak which we call a compliance anorak as once fastened up in it it is impossible for him to mess with his brace and ensures he remains in it as prescibed all the time.
We were told it should be used whenever he is out of range of supervision and especially throughout the night when he mainly tampered with the brace. However, it was left to us to decide how long we had him wear it each day and we decided for hs own good we would keep him in all the time except for meal times and school hours as he supervised at school.
Mum told his parents my story which they were very interested in and told them I was good at wearing my callipers. The boy wanted to know if I had to sleep in my callipers has he had to in his brace. I told him yes I did and would be like this for about five years. He told us he was to stay in his brace for about eight years.
We all got friendly while on holiday and meet up each day. The came around to our caravan one night for a barby and he had his hood untied to eat and drink.
About half an hour after we had finished eating his Dad told him it was time to fasten up his anorak. He started pleading not to but his Dad was having none of it.
I now learned something else, he had to fasten the hood up himself under his parents supervision. His Dad put his goggles back on pulled up the neck zip and handed him the hood draw cords. He had to pull the drawcords untill his Dad was satisfied the hood was closed enough then took the draw cords off him and quickly tied them at the back of his head with the bow in a platic boxe screwed shut.
The brace held the boy absolutey rigid and in neck extension. To look left or right he had to turn his whole body. It was impossible for him to bend because his brace corset came over his hips to the tops of his legs and on to his buttocks then extended until tight under his armpits.
As he sat the brace was forced up higher this could be seen by the brace stretching the neck part of the anorak..
Before we left we took a photograph of him his parents and some orher people outside the reception building of the caravan park as show here. Notice in the photograph how tight the hod is fastened and the front and neck ring can be clearly seen beneath the anorak. This is how he was all the time
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rk52
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Post by rk52 on Jun 26, 2020 10:08:51 GMT
The Milwaukee brace has always struck me as a particularly brutal device, and in this unfortunate kid's experience even worse than usual. Thank goodness medical science has moved on a bit since then. Your own experience milkid sounds to have been a tough ordeal as well .
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Post by milkid on Jun 27, 2020 10:18:30 GMT
Yes I had bilateral perthes (both hips) in 1963 when I was seven. In those days orthopaedic treatments were harsh compared to today's standards. If you were unfortunate to have to wear a brace or multiple braces they were bulky and quite heavy and certainly very noticable. Today it is sometimes hard to tell when a brace is being worn. Unfortunately for me I was in the time very noticable and bulky braces mainly of leather and steel as mine were. My problem started when I was six before the braces at seven. I was put in to full leg casts from in my groins to and including my feet. The casts were seperated by no less than three wooden bars which were plastered to the leg casts behind and front of my ankles and another just below my knees for good measure. I had to stay on the kids ward until the casts fully dried then they would put on the crossbars. While I layed there there were other kids on the ward having the same treatment asme and most had, had the cross bars put on. It was confusing not only at the time but even to this day. Some only had one cross bar, some had two and only one kid had three. I knew I was to have three crossbars because my parents told me. Looking at this kid I got a good idea what was going to happen to me. His ligs had been spread apart but not to much. My turn came I was wheeled to the plaster theatre and laid an a bed. I was laid an a steel frame that was half a circle with holes all away around. The nurse put pegs in the hole on each side about 10 holes from each end, the holes being about half inch apart. The C- shaped bar also had markings on which at the time didn't understand until I was an aduld and found out what the markings were in an orthopaedic text book I found in the libary. Apparently on the diagram shown they were degrees starting from the centre of the bar and indicated 15,25,35 and 45 etc. It worked out if ones legs were held on the frame at the top holes ones legs would be in a straight line with each other held at 180 degrees leg spread. Using the diagram in the boog I counted back ten holes and this indicated a leg spread of 140 degrees each leg being held at 70 degrees. Before I was taken to plaster theatre I was given an injection in both hips and they talked to Mum. After a while I had no feelings in my hips and the tops of my legs and told Mum. Mum told me it was because my legs were to be spread very wide apart and the injection was so I felt no pain while it was being done. I was layed down flat on the frame thast had a large padded V shaped block. I was positioned so the block sat in my groins then I was strapped down so I could not move or sit up. Twi nurses one on each leg held my casts at the feet and together slowly spead my casted legs apart until both legs were on a certain mark then pushed two pegs in the frame to keep my legs there. On a trolly there was to very long wooden poles and a shorter one. They slipped one long pole under my heels and secured it with plaster bandages, then placed the other long pole over the tops of my ankles then plastered the bars to the casts with lots of plaster bandages and all the way along the bars. Then the bar just below my knees was fixed. The casts were very thick and where the bars were joined to the cast looked ridicuously thick. I was removed off the frame and took back to my ward for everything to dry. After a couple of hours I was allowed to sit up, it was then I saw the full extent of my casts. I was the only kid including the only other kid with three bars in such a wide leg spread. I spent a further two days in hospital before going home. The doctor came to see us before going home and explained I would be like this for several months. I would not be able to walk in the casts like other kids because of how wide my legs were spred and had to get about in a wheel chair. I wouldnt fit through doors and had to lie on my side in the wheel chair with one leg sticking in the air to get through doorways. After three months and an X-ray I had a cast change. The next casts were exactly the same but this time the internally rotated my legs until my toes pointed in. In all I spent 7 months in the casts then was told I would have to be fitted with bilateral patten ended braces for quite a long time. But that is another story. All that I have told here was told to me by my parents when I was old enough to understand and Dad had taken photos to show me.
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rk52
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Post by rk52 on Jun 27, 2020 10:53:54 GMT
Surgery has made huge strides (no pun intended!) since the 1960s and I think most conditions formerly treated by extensive bracing can now be fixed in the operating theatre. Perthes is now mostly treated by surgery I think. A friend of mine's son was diagnosed with scoliosis in his teens about ten years ago and underwent corrective surgery. He did have to wear some sort of brace afterwards but that was for months rather than years whilst his back healed. I don't know what sort of brace he had as I never saw it but I very much doubt it was a Milwaukee; he is ok now and in fact recently qualified as a GP. I've only ever seen one Milwaukee in the flesh as it were, and that was a teenage girl I drove past in the street. It was only a fleeting glimpse and about forty years ago at a guess.
Back to the kid you described, I just wonder if his parents were some sort of sadists to keep him in the anorak like that, and how much psychological damage the experience inflicted on him during his formative years. Your own experience is obviously deeply etched in your memory given the detail in which you've described it.
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Post by milkid on Jun 27, 2020 14:09:19 GMT
I wouldn't say sadist just very strict parents as they were in those days to inforce compliance to hih not tampering with his brace for his own good. I had to have my shoes substituted for boots so the would'nt pull off against the pull of the traction straps from the leather harnss around my ankles and to the patten ends. 8 hole boots would have been sufficiant as my doctor told my parents but because they had 14 hole high boots that came up to high calf my parents choose to have me tight laced in these as added calf support. I wouldn't call my parents sadists for keeping me in the boots they did it for a reason just like they kept Sam (his name) in the compliance anorak to stop him constantly trying to adjust his brace to make it looser and lower. If you had seen this milwaukee brace as I did and at this time I was aged 11 and understodd what was happening. Instead of a pelvic girdle that normal type milwaukee brace had this was a full brace corset made of hardened and very rigid brown polihsed leather that fitted tight in to his hips, over his buttocks and as low as the tops of his legs then extending to enclose his whole torso until tight underarm It was fastened at the back with ten leather straps with steel buckles adn tightened to an unforgiving tightness until the brace corset was fully closed. In addition the front bar was raised until his neck was held in an unforgiving degree of extension and the neck ring closed until hiu head was tightly sandwiched between the rear head support and chin pad.This he had to endure 23 hours a day. Its no wonder he was constantly trying to loosen the brace corset and lower the front bar. It was for his own good he was made to wear the compliance anorak to force complyiance to his wear regime. So I wouldn't call his parents saddist just insuring compliance was met. Two more photos I have found of Sam in his compliance anorak shows more detail Attachments:to edit.pub (208.5 KB)
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rk52
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Post by rk52 on Jun 27, 2020 16:37:12 GMT
Sam's brace does sound extreme even by Milwaukee standards, and I appreciate the need for compliance, but I would have thought that kinder method could have been found than trussing the lad up like a chicken! Did you find out why he needed such an extreme brace?
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Post by milkid on Jun 27, 2020 20:28:50 GMT
Apparently not only did he have scoliosis in the higher part of his spine he also had some other genetic disorder where the spine does not fully form during growing years and there was a great risk of fractures and spinal dislocation if he was not completely immobolised and the spine kept stretched. It was maybe the genetic disorder that was more serious than the scoliosis that formed the basis of extreme compliance to prevent paralysis if the spinal cord was damaged. I did know what the genetic disorder was but cannot remember at this time or pronounce it. will have to do some research. I do know the genetic disorder was very rare. Hving said that Sam took the compliance anorak mostly in his stride as far as I could see. I did asked him not long after we made friends why he was in the anorak and he addmitted it was because he had difficulty in complying with his brace wearing which could lead to paralysis unless the bracing was very strict.I must admit the compliance anorak did work as there was no way he could tamper with his brace while in it. The night I had a sleep over at Sam's after supper he had to have the compliance anorak on ready for bed and had been tought to assist with putting it on as a way of accepting he had to wear it. His parents put on the anorak over his head and brace, pulled up the neck zip and handed the hood draw cords to Sam to pull the hood tight. He had to continue closing the hood until he was told to stop then his parents tied off the draw strings at the back of his head and tied off the waist draw strings.
We are talking about the 1960s it wouldn't happen today. He told me some days he was out of the anorak all day and only wore it at night but most days from school he was put in it.
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rk52
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Post by rk52 on Jun 28, 2020 9:32:35 GMT
There are some particularly nasty genetic disorders but thankfully they are mostly rare, and Sam was an unfortunate victim of one of them. I can't help thinking though that it wouldn't have been too hard to make the fastenings and adjustmnts on his brace tamper-proof. Allen screws have existed since long before the 60s and they can't be undone without the correct key, and lockable buckles probably existed back then too; his parents could keep the keys out of his reach. Thanks goodness these are more enlightened times!
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Post by milkid on Jun 28, 2020 11:56:34 GMT
yes totally agree. allen screws and locking buckles or even small padlocks placed on the straps, front bar and neck ring would enforce compliance. However, this was his parents method of enforcing his compliance the were perhaps not so mechanical minded as we are and on test driving the anorak method proved compliance and carried on with it. I can see it from both sides but I would like to have known where the idea of using the anorak as a compliance tool came from. Was it invented by his parents? had they known of another case where this method had been used? Had this method been suggested by a third party we will not know. What Sam did know was that he was expected to have enforced compliance through long term none compliance and accepted it in the same way he knew he had to wear his brace. One of the days he was allowed not to wear his anorak for reasons not known and we were at his caravan that day for an evening bbq enjoyed by all. Sam had already had is bath when we got there and was surprised he was not in his anorak. Later on in the evening he was told it would be bedtime at 10pm and he did no other than go into the caravan put on his anorak without being told, put on his goggles, zipped up the neck zip, pull up his hood and stand in front of his parents and started to pull the hood draw cards awaiting to be told that his hood was closed enough. This tells me looking back on it now he made himself responsible to enforcing his own compliance of not tampering with his brace during the night.
My parents were strict with me but I didn't have to wear anything to stop me tampering with my callipers and boots. I just had periodical checks by my parents throughout the day that my boots remained tight laced, the straps on my knee pads had not been loosened or the straps on the upper leg corsets. On going to bed I was warned of a suitable punishment if I loosened any straps or unlaced my boots during the night and thats as far as my compliance enforcement was carried out.
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rk52
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Post by rk52 on Jun 28, 2020 13:16:33 GMT
Compliance with an uncomfortable surgical appliance can be bad enough for an adult who understands the reasons for wearing it, but for a young child who doesn't it is doubly difficult I guess. Presumably when his parents found him out they didn't consult the orthotist for advice. Or maybe that was his advice in which case he needed striking off! It does have an advantage though, he'd have been unable to stuff his face with too many sweets and fizzy drinks that would have made him fat and rotted his teeth . A friend I knew at college broke his neck on the rugby pitch and underwent surgery. To help the injury heal he was given a hard cervical collar and told to wear it more or less permanently, including overnight. He frequently took it off though because it was so uncomfortable. I have worn one myself and after more than a few minutes it gets very uncomfortable. As far as I know he recovered OK. I guess leg braces are easier to cope with than any form of neck brace, even when combined with traction, so a stern warning was enough for you. Did you make a full recovery?
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Post by milkid on Jun 28, 2020 18:26:40 GMT
Yes made a full recovery after several months in casts and nearly five years in patten ended callipers. I only tampered with my callipers once and was punished and never did it again. I was fed up of not being able to feel my feet on the ground and the upper leg rigid corsets pushing hard in my groins so one day when I thought no one was around I found two books and wedged them between the patten end and boot soles to make them weight bearing. Oh the joy of actually feeling my feet an something solid and relief of the thigh corsets not taking my body weight in my groins was heaven. Unfortunately for me Dad came in unexpected and caught me walking around with these books wedged tight between the patten ends and boots. My Dad went ape and Mum was none to pleased. My Dad did no more than sit me on the table with my legs sticking out straight and undone the traction straps from the leather harness around my ankles and the patten ends. I remember being in tears not just for getting caught, but for what was to happen. I ask why he had undone my traction straps and his reply was you are about to find out, you will not do this again I assure you. With that Dad came back with a screwdriver and a spanner. What you going to do I shouted. Watch and find out he replied. The pattends were adjustable to allow for growth and initially being made for a 7 inch extension the side bars were on the bottom holes with lots of holes above for further adjustment to maintain 7 inches as I grew. One Dad had undone the screws he pulled the patten endes down all the way to the top holes and secured them in place with the screws. Then he did the other calliper the same took a tape measure out of his pocket and measured from the bottom of my boot soles to the end of the walking pattens and declared that my feet were now suspended 10 inches and in a stern voice said that will stop you wedging books in the pattens. The traction straps were just long enough to slip through the toggle on the patten ends ad fasten to the second hole. Ten he adjusted the straps so they were taught again and my legs were being stretched as before. Then I got a lecture telling me this is how I was going to be until he decided I had learnt my lesson and finished the lecture by saying " dont think this is just for a couple of hours ore a day, I assure you you will be like this for some time. I was sitting there with tears in my eyes but was thinking apart from being in a higher suspension it will feel relativly the same as befor. How wrong I was. As I shuffled of the table the patten ends hit the floor and Dad pulled me up on them and it felt totaly different than before. I could no longer balance again being so high and had to once again walk with my crutches which Dad had adjusted longer. I was very small for my age at 10 I was only four foot four inches and with the 7 inch suspension I was four foot eleven inches. Now in full extension I was five foot three inches.
I was kept like this for an whole month. I had to go out shopping with Mum in this suspension and everyone staring at me. I was glad it was in the summer holidays and I wasn't at school but I did have to spend a full weeks holiday at the seaside like this. After a month I was put back down to seven inches and I never messed up again.
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Post by milkid on Jun 29, 2020 10:17:27 GMT
I spent most of Sunday trying to locate Sam had a phone number in my book and phoned it. Unfortunately a woman answered the phone and when I asked for Sam she told me he had left the area 18 months ago but he did leave a contact number if any one should call him he hadn't notified. I rang this number and a man said hellow. I asked are you Sam. He said yes. I asked are you the same Sam who had to wear a milwaukee brace and a compliance anorak. He paused and said OMG your not that kid who was in callipes suspended of the ground are you. I said yes that is me. We spent a full hour on the phone. Apparently both his parents have passed on but he got married as one grown up son who is also now married. I told him I had been on vintage braces forum and explained what it was and he was brought up in conversation about your milwaukee brace and compliance anorak with great interest. I asked if he would like to join the forum and he said it could be interesting and he would be willing to talk to others about his childhood bracing. Asking him if he was ok now he told me he got rid of the milwaukee brace age 16 but had to have a major spinal operation for his other spinal condition that wasn't a complete sucsess and now has to wear a dolls collar and rigid corset for life. If you would like to contact Sam he is listed under Sam61
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Post by milkid on Jun 29, 2020 11:00:19 GMT
Compliance with an uncomfortable surgical appliance can be bad enough for an adult who understands the reasons for wearing it, but for a young child who doesn't it is doubly difficult I guess. Presumably when his parents found him out they didn't consult the orthotist for advice. Or maybe that was his advice in which case he needed striking off! It does have an advantage though, he'd have been unable to stuff his face with too many sweets and fizzy drinks that would have made him fat and rotted his teeth . A friend I knew at college broke his neck on the rugby pitch and underwent surgery. To help the injury heal he was given a hard cervical collar and told to wear it more or less permanently, including overnight. He frequently took it off though because it was so uncomfortable. I have worn one myself and after more than a few minutes it gets very uncomfortable. As far as I know he recovered OK. I guess leg braces are easier to cope with than any form of neck brace, even when combined with traction, so a stern warning was enough for you. Did you make a full recovery? I spent most of Sunday trying to locate Sam had a phone number in my book and phoned it. Unfortunately a woman answered the phone and when I asked for Sam she told me he had left the area 18 months ago but he did leave a contact number if any one should call him he hadn't notified. I rang this number and a man said hellow. I asked are you Sam. He said yes. I asked are you the same Sam who had to wear a milwaukee brace and a compliance anorak. He paused and said OMG your not that kid who was in callipes suspended of the ground are you. I said yes that is me. We spent a full hour on the phone. Apparently both his parents have passed on but he got married as one grown up son who is also now married. I told him I had been on vintage braces forum and explained what it was and he was brought up in conversation about your milwaukee brace and compliance anorak with great interest. I asked if he would like to join the forum and he said it could be interesting and he would be willing to talk to others about his childhood bracing. Asking him if he was ok now he told me he got rid of the milwaukee brace age 16 but had to have a major spinal operation for his other spinal condition that wasn't a complete sucsess and now has to wear a dolls collar and rigid corset for life. If you would like to contact Sam he is listed under Sam61
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rk52
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Post by rk52 on Jun 30, 2020 12:51:00 GMT
You were certainly taught a stern lesson, but it obviously worked! Sorry to hear that Sam's surgery was not 100% successful but good that you're back in touch.
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Post by milkid on Jun 30, 2020 15:18:05 GMT
Yes we are meeting up next week as he only lives around 15 miles from me. I'm going to ask him if he remembers the origin of that anorak he has still got in his wardrobe i,m intrigued to how it all started. Sam is now a member under sam61.
When Dad pulled the patten ends to full extension and told me my feet was now 10 inches high I wasn't really bothered thinking to myself so what i'm already used to the callipers. It was only when Dad pulled me up on the patten ends how much diifferent this felt. I couldn't balance as had before without my crutches and walking in this suspension felt really weird. I found I could no longer sit in the places I had before because of the extra length and When I asked Dad to unlock the knee hinges unless absolutely necessary and had to stand. The first time I was taken out like this Mum had to unlock my knees to sit on the bus and this was also uncomfortable because with the pattens flat on the floor my knees were pushed high up. The day Dad let me back down to seven inches he asked if I had learnt anything. Yes I told him doing what I did was wrong and that's why I have been punished. He asked if I would do anything like it again I told him no. He said good because if you do next time you will stay in max extension for the duration. I never tried any thing like it again. I actually wondered if he would carry out his threat if caught again or was it a bluff not worth taking the risk.
Are you wearing callipers now and what sort are they?
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