Cheat Y., 16

Cheat is a 16-year-old boy who lives in Svay Rieng province with his aunt and her family. In the house are his aunt, his aunt's husband, and their four children. His mother lives in Thailand and is divorced from his father. He has no contact with his father. Cheat had to leave school after the 4th grade to help his mother, who is a cook. Cheat is not able to read or write, but has learned some cooking skills. He does not have a job, but enjoys playing football with his cousins and playing games on a phone.

Cheat sustained injuries from being hit by a car on August 15, 2023, resulting in a fracture that was treated at a local hospital. He developed a malunion of the left femur, causing him to walk with a limp and his left leg to be 5 cm shorter than his right leg. Fortunately, he did not experience any paralysis. To address the malunion, Cheat underwent an osteotomy followed by several days of traction to realign the bone and promote healing. This process involved applying pressure to pull the bone or injured body part back into its correct position. Once the bone was properly aligned, he underwent open reduction - internal fixation surgery, during which a K-nail was used to secure his femur in place. Following a course of antibiotics, Cheat began working with the physiotherapy team on strengthening exercises to aid in his recovery. He will soon be discharged home, with plans for a post-operative visit next month to monitor his progress.

A broken leg bone can lead to a limb length discrepancy if it heals in a shortened position. It is also more likely to happen if the skin and muscle tissue around the bone are severely injured and exposed, as occurs in an open fracture. Legs of two different lengths require children to change their normal posture and walking patterns. Depending on the degree of difference, leg-length disparities can lead to a variety of problems, such as functional scoliosis, and hip, knee, and ankle problems. Cheat will undergo a period of traction after his first osteotomy, then will undergo surgery again to repair his malunion of the femur.