OrthoArizona’s Dr. David Jaffe Performs Arizona’s First Automated Hexapod Deformity Correction
PHOENIX – After suffering catastrophic burns to the majority of her body, Hitaxi was put in a medically induced coma for months and underwent hundreds of soft tissue procedures including extensive skin grafting. Upon her survival and medical recovery, she had significant lower extremity and upper extremity contractures and was told she may never live independently or walk again due to her injuries. Hitaxi wanted to explore her options and needed to consult a foot and ankle specialist.
Hitaxi consulted Dr. David Jaffe, a foot and ankle specialist at OrthoArizona, who deemed that due to the soft tissue damage she suffered, Hitaxi’s only option for correction was gradual with an external fixator. Without full use of her arms, automated, robotic deformity correction was performed. Dr. Jaffe is the only provider in the state to use this technology and only among a few in the country.
“Hitaxi suffered a catastrophic injury and was lucky to survive. She received amazing care to get her through the initial trauma, but her contractures left her without much potential for independence and normal function,” Dr. Jaffe said. “This brand new technology certainly has amazing implications to help correct complex deformities in complex patients that may have limited upper extremity use, language barriers, or poor social support.”
After carefully constructing a care plan, Dr. Jaffe mounted the external fixator with the mounted AutoStrut robotic correction system and began Hitaxi’s life-changing journey. The first was mounted and with her determination to move forward, two weeks later the contralateral frame was mounted. Over the course of two months the automated struts gradually corrected her deformity.
“I felt like this was her only option and the frames successfully corrected her deformities automatically and without much discomfort,” Dr. Jaffe said. “I am so happy for her and she deserves a lot of credit for her determination and hard work on her rehabilitation to get her strength back to maximize her outcome.”
After two months, the devices were removed and just months after being told she would never walk again, Hitaxi can now walk fully unassisted.
