ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY
Many patients come to Africa Surgery with a wide range of orthopedic issues, such as:
- club foot (a congenital deformity involving one or both feet)
- osteomyelitis (bone infection)
- hip problems
- tuberculosis in the bones or joints
- gangrene
In the case of clubfeet, Africa Surgery primarily relies on the services of Dr. Fritjof Schmidt-Hönsdon, a generous volunteer surgeon working with the German-based organization Ortopaedie-für-die-Dritte-Welt (O-D-W) whose teams make regular visits to Sierra Leone.
Every year Africa Surgery reviews dozens of orthopedic cases involving injured farmers, harvesters who have fallen from trees, and common citizens who, for no apparent reason, have developed bone infections. Along with increased automobile traffic, Sierra Leone is experiencing more road accidents, which result in more injuries and infections leading to osteomyelitis. Complicated cases requiring implants are treated by visiting teams of orthopedic surgeons, including O-D-W. Many cases, especially those requiring amputation or debridement of bone infection, are treated by competent Sierra Leonean orthopedic surgeons.