12-year-old Oregon girl is first child to receive new bone growth material in...( Girl with congenital deformity must...)

12-year-old Oregon girl is first child to receive new bone growth material in her skull

Girl with congenital deformity must wear bike helmet to protect soft tissue of skull

Portland, Ore. -- Emily Lang is no stranger to surgeries. She's already had 121 of them in her short 12 years to correct various medical conditions related to deformities she was born with. But the one she will undergo on August 23 is different. This surgery will help get her one step closer to eliminating the need to wear a bright pink bike helmet to school in order to protect the soft tissue of her skull where holes in the bone have formed.

Physicians at Oregon Health Sciences University's Doernbecher Children's Hospital will apply bone morphogenic protein to holes in Emily's skull. BMP is a synthetically created product that initiates molecular and cellular activity that causes the body to grow new bone-forming cells called osteoblasts. These osteoblasts then develop into healthy new bone structures.

In October 1998 Emily had BMP applied to a gap in the right side of her skull. Now, 70 percent of that gap is filled with new bone. In this next surgery, BMP will be applied to several of the gaps in her forehead. Emily is the first child to ever have BMP applied to existing bone and have it successfully grow. BMP has been used to successfully grow bone in animals for many years.

"Emily can't wait till more of her skull has grown in and the day comes when she can go to school without the pink helmet," says Sheri Ficek, Emily's mom. "It will make her feel more like a normal kid and this surgery gets her one step closer to that dream."

"I am hopeful that we will eventually be able to use BMP to replace missing bone wherever it is needed," said Alan Seyfer, M.D., OHSU department of surgery (division chairman of plastic and reconstructive surgery) and chief of plastic surgery at Doernbecher.

Emily was born with several congenital deformities. Her physicians say she probably has Antley-Bixler which caused her elbows and legs to fuse together, cr
'"/>

Contact: Christine Long
longc@ohsu.edu
503-494-8231
Oregon Health & Science University
26-Aug-1999

Page: 1 2
Related medicine news :

1. Micro nano breakthrough conference planned for Portland, Oregon
2. OHSU researcher co-authors National State-By-State Report Card on women and smoking; Oregon flunks
3. Oregon State chemist wins national award for synthesizing molecules in nature
4. Oregon Health Sciences University Researchers track long-term results of chemotherapy assisted by blood-brain barrier disruption
5. Oregon Health Sciences University researchers study benefits of treatments offered within hours of a stroke
6. Lower death rate in Oregon hospitals linked to better care
7. One of first bone marrow transplants for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in the United States is approved for Oregon girl
8. Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, Oregon receives $6.5 million to fund studies on health of adolescents and firefighters
9. Oregons Terminally Ill Patients More Likely to Have End-Of-Life Choices Respected, Study Finds
10. Oregon Health Sciences University Researcher Presents Results Of Clinical Trials Of Possible Stroke-Fighting Drug
11. Researchers search for first sign of congestive heart failure

Post Your Comments: