Hip abduction brace after surgery (1125)

Key points below


after hip surgery

What is a hip abduction brace?

The hip abduction brace keeps your child’s hip joint from moving after hip surgery. This helps it heal. It does this by stopping the legs from moving. The brace is made of hard plastic with pads. Pads are held in place with strong hook and loop closures.

It may have a calf cuff. It would be on the side that had surgery. An abduction bar holds the legs in the best position for healing.

waist band

How do we care for a child in a brace?

What to wear

How to go

If your child wears diapers:
You may need a larger size. Tuck the diaper edges under the purple thigh cuff pads to keep them from getting wet or dirty. The diaper tabs should come under the side bar for a snug fit. This will keep the diaper from leaking to the side and back pads. We will show you how to do this.

If your child does not wear diapers:
Use a bedpan. You will get a bed pan to take home from the hospital. You may choose to use a drop-arm commode next to the bed.

How to position and transport your child

If your child is under 2 years old:
Use a wagon, jogger stroller or reclining stroller. Your child will go home with a car seat which works with the brace. Your child will be fitted for the car seat before they leave the hospital.

If your child is older than 2 years old:
A reclining wheelchair will be used. This will be ordered for you. A car seat or E-Z-On Vest will be loaned to you based on your child’s height and weight. If your child is too tall to lay flat on a bench seat, ambulance transport may be set up.

How do I care for the brace and pads?

Keep brace on at all times. The brace may be opened for skin checks, brace pad changes or dressing changes.
Change the pads if they are wet or dirty. Change the dressing at the hip if more than half of the dressing is wet. Your nurse will show you how to do this before you go home. This will take two people.

1. One person log rolls your child half way out of brace to reach pads or dressing.

2. With your child on their side, the second person should changes the pads and reinforces or changes the dressing.

Other information

Never use the abduction bar to lift your child because it may cause screws to become loose.

For other health and wellness information, check out this resource:
https://kidshealth.org/ChildrensWi/en/parents

ALERT

Call your child’s health care team if you or your child have any concerns related to using this teaching sheet or your child has special health care needs not covered by this information.