Halo-gravity traction is a way to pull the head and spine upward carefully, applying a slow stretch to the spine. Doctors do this by attaching a halo (a metal ring that surrounds the head) to a pulley system. Over several weeks, weights are added to the pulley system to slowly pull the head upward. This pulling is called "traction."
What is halo traction for spinal cord injury?
Halo traction reduces the risk of damaging the nerves or soft tissues that surround and support the spine during surgery. Shriners Children's skilled physicians use this treatment to carefully pull a child's head and spine upward, applying a slow stretch.
How do you use a traction Halo?
Once the halo is secured, it is ready to accept the traction weight. Traction is achieved by weights hung from a rope woven through a precise pulley system to the triangle and carabineer attached to the top of the halo.The traction gently pulls against the child’s body weight to straighten the spine.
What are the pins on a halo of traction?
These pins distribute the traction weight evenly. The number of pins used is in relation to the child’s weight. The halo will sit slightly above the eyebrows and reach back to the child’s ears. In some cases, it can go completely around the child’s head. The pins will hold the halo in place a short distance from the forehead.
What is Halo-gravity traction used for?
Doctors use halo-gravity traction to treat different conditions, including: basilar invagination (where the top of the spine pushes into the skull, pinching the brain and spinal cord) Why Is Halo-Gravity Traction Done?
See 7 key topics from this page & related content
See 7 key topics from this page & related content
How does halo traction treatment work?
For kids with scoliosis or kyphosis, halo-gravity traction is a way to stretch the spine slowly into a straighter position. Doctors usually do it to help a child get ready for a second, bigger surgery, called spinal fusion. This surgery fuses the bones together to hold them in their new, straighter position.
How do you sleep with halo traction?
It may take some time to get used to sleeping in a halo, and your child will require assistance getting into the bed. Nighttime suggestions include sleeping in a reclining chair and lying on the back with a small pillow or foam wedge. Eventually, sleeping on a side or on the stomach may be possible.
How is halo traction applied?
6:5012:07All About Halo Traction - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipRoom it's a very brief procedure it only takes about 20 minutes and pins surgical pins are placed onMoreRoom it's a very brief procedure it only takes about 20 minutes and pins surgical pins are placed on either side of the child's head in the front and also posteriorly on either side usually two in the
Can you drive with halo traction?
Do not drive a vehicle or ride a bike while you wear your halo brace. You also may have limits on heavy lifting and exercise.
How do you shower with a halo device?
You cannot have a shower while in the halo vest. Sponge baths should be done daily while lying flat. The skin under the vest should be looked at daily during bathing for redness, sores or blisters. If redness, sores, or blisters are present, contact your halo nurse or spine surgeon.
Is a halo drilled into skull?
The halo and its jacket and rods hold the head still, so that the bones can heal. The pins in the halo are secured to the skull, which prevents any motion in the neck. The pins are inserted using a special tool and then tightened securely.
Does a halo hurt?
Myth #2: The Halo Treatment Is Painful Then, they'll glide the Halo handpiece across your face until the system recognizes that your treatment for that area is uniform, comfortable, and complete. Halo is usually described as a mild heat with a tingling sensation. Most patients experience minimal or no discomfort.
How long does Halo surgery take?
With the use of a topical anesthetic and cooling technology in the handpiece, most patients only feel heat with occasional prickling sensations during the procedure. The procedure itself only takes about 30 minutes. The heat typically subsides around two to three hours after the treatment.
How deep do halo pins go?
A halo ring or crown is attached to your head by 4 pins. One pin is above each eyebrow, and one pin is just behind each ear. The pins go about 1 millimetre into the outer part of your skull.
How do you wash your hair with a halo brace?
Washing your hair Gently ease your hair through the top of the halo brace. Use a spray attachment from the sink or bathtub, or a pitcher of water to wet your hair. Lean over the sink or bathtub and have someone else wash your hair. Wash your hair and rinse it well.
Does a halo brace leave scars?
Scars will remain but should fade considerably. Once the halo is removed, your child may need to wear a collar for some time, as recommended by the surgeon. While your child may be completely healed at this time, the collar offers additional protection from overusing the neck and serves as a transition to normal use.
Do halo braces hurt?
Is a Halo Brace Painful? No, the halo brace should not cause pain. Some kids get headaches, especially while eating, but this usually goes away after the child gets used to the brace. If the pain continues or gets worse, the surgeon may adjust the pins to make the child more comfortable.
Can you use a pillow with halo device?
Some people find it comfortable to sleep in a reclining chair for the first month until they are more used to the halo vest. If you need more support for your head, you can place a small pillow, rolled up towel, or a piece of foam between your head and the surface of the bed.
Do you sleep in a neck brace?
General instructions for wearing your collar: Unless told otherwise, wear the collar whenever you are out of bed. You may take it off for sleep and for bathing. When lying down, support your neck with a small pillow or rolled-up towel under the neck.
How do you wash your hair with a halo brace?
Washing your hair Gently ease your hair through the top of the halo brace. Use a spray attachment from the sink or bathtub, or a pitcher of water to wet your hair. Lean over the sink or bathtub and have someone else wash your hair. Wash your hair and rinse it well.
Do halo braces hurt?
Is a Halo Brace Painful? No, the halo brace should not cause pain. Some kids get headaches, especially while eating, but this usually goes away after the child gets used to the brace. If the pain continues or gets worse, the surgeon may adjust the pins to make the child more comfortable.
How does halo gravity traction work?
Halo-gravity traction is a way to pull the head and spine upward carefully, applying a slow stretch to the spine. Doctors do this by attaching a halo (a metal ring that surrounds the head) to a pulley system. Over several weeks, weights are added to the pulley system to slowly pull the head upward. This pulling is called "traction." Kids stay in the hospital during halo-gravity traction.
How Is the Halo Put On?
A surgeon puts the halo on in a procedure done while a child is under general anesthesia. This means the child sleeps through the surgery. The surgeon attaches the halo with 6–10 small pins. These pins go into the bone and keep the halo from moving.
Who Is on the Hospital Team for Children With Halo-Gravity Traction?
A care team works together to care for kids with halo-gravity traction. The team will prepare the child and family for the hospital stay, take care of them while in the hospital, and follow up with them after they leave.
What Happens After the Halo Is On?
After the halo is on the head, it's attached to a pulley system with weights. Over several weeks, more weights are added. This slowly pulls the head and spine upward and stretches the muscles and ligaments (bands that hold bones together) around the spine .
Are There Any Risks From Halo-Gravity Traction?
There are risks to any surgery. The care team reviews the risks with families and can answer any questions.
Is Halo-Gravity Traction Painful?
Kids may have some pain for the first few days of halo-gravity traction or when more weights are added. Medicine can help relax the muscles and control pain.
Why is halo traction important?
Halo traction is also needed by those children with high curves who are not eligible for other measures of correction because of congenital defects in their spines. Many of these children are already experiencing stress to their heart and lung functions.
Why is halo gravity traction needed?
Halo gravity traction is needed by children with severe curves in their spine (80+degrees) who have not had success with other measures of correction , such as serial corrective plaster casting and serial bracing. Halo traction is also needed by those children with high curves who are not eligible for other measures of correction because of congenital defects in their spines. Many of these children are already experiencing stress to their heart and lung functions. Patients with severe infantile, juvenile and adolescent scoliosis and Scheuerman’s Kyphosis may be considered likely candidates for halo traction.
How to use a halo for a child?
While the child is under general anesthesia, a horseshoe shaped metal bar is secured to the skull with 4-8 pins. These pins distribute the traction weight evenly. The number of pins used is in relation to the child’s weight. The halo will sit slightly above the eyebrows and reach back to the child’s ears. In some cases, it can go completely around the child’s head. The pins will hold the halo in place a short distance from the forehead. Once the halo is secured, it is ready to accept the traction weight. Traction is achieved by weights hung from a rope woven through a precise pulley system to the triangle and carabineer attached to the top of the halo.The traction gently pulls against the child’s body weight to straighten the spine.
What is Halo in Place?
Halo in Place. The traction weight is decreased at the same deliberate pace, working towards the goal of halo removal, once correction is obtained. Following the placement of the halo, the child will remain in traction at all times. The apparatus. for traction is made to fit the bed.
What are the complications of Halo traction?
Some possible complications from halo traction are: pain and weakness in the neck muscles, swallowing muscles and tongue, pain and weakness in the eyes, infections at the pin sites and neuromuscular complications.
Why is it important to maintain strength in a halo?
Maintaining strength while in the halo is very important so the child can return to normal activities when the halo is removed.
What is spinal traction?
Spinal traction is the gentle pulling of the soft tissue (joints and muscles) to help straighten the spine. A scoliotic curve allowed to reach high degrees of measurement may increase pressure on the lungs and heart. The result can be a decrease in life expectancy by up to twenty years.
What is a halo brace?
A halo brace is a metal brace that circles and attaches to your skull. It is used to keep the bones in your cervical spine (neck) from moving. Pins screwed into the skin above your eyebrows keep the halo in place. Metal rods connect the halo to a plastic vest worn over your chest and back. Halo braces are commonly used after a neck fracture or dislocation. Most people wear a halo brace for 8 to 12 weeks. Choose a family member or friend to be trained to remove your vest. Only trained caregivers may remove your vest.
How do I swallow food, liquid, and pills in a halo brace?
Carry a cup and straws with you. This may make it easier for you to drink without bending your neck.
How do I sleep in a halo brace?
Try naps in a reclining chair. You may be able to sleep only on your back at first. In time you will learn to sleep on your side or stomach.
How long do you wear a Halo brace?
Most people wear a halo brace for 8 to 12 weeks. Choose a family member or friend to be trained to remove your vest. Only trained caregivers may remove your vest.
How to avoid falling with a Halo brace?
Move slowly and carefully to avoid falls. The size and bulk of the halo brace will affect your balance. You will feel clumsy and awkward for a few weeks as you get used to moving with the halo brace. Rest when needed. It is normal to feel more tired than usual.
Is it normal to feel tired after wearing a Halo brace?
It is normal to feel more tired than usual. Ask your healthcare provider when you can return to work or school. Do not drive a vehicle or ride a bike while you wear your halo brace. You also may have limits on heavy lifting and exercise. Ask your healthcare provider about other limits on daily activities.
What is skeletal traction?
Skeletal traction is principally used for reducing deformity and stabilizing complex fractures or dislocations, often as a temporizing measure prior to open reduction and surgical internal fixation. A typical apparatus, shown right, illustrates the use of traction to to treat a femur fracture.
Is a halo vest MR unsafe?
General MR safety issues similar to those discussed for other external fixation devices ( see related Q&A) apply to halo vests, including magnetic displacement/torque and eddy-current induced vibrations. Many models are MR Unsafe.
Do halo vests have rings?
As such MR conditional halos and halo vests must have rings and supports that are not only made out of non-ferrous materials, but also non-conductive ones, such as fiberglass or carbon fiber composites.
What is Halo traction?
Halo traction is used to hold the head in place and stabilize the cervical spine after surgery or injury. It is comprised of a metal framework (called a halo, due to the fact that it encircles the head) attached by pins to the patient’s skull and connected to the body using straps or a vest.
Why is a halo harness difficult to use?
A halo makes it very difficult to position a harness over a child’s shoulders since the straps must route within its framework. This limits CR options to models with straps that can be temporarily detached from a splitter plate (the metal part at the back of a CR where the two harness straps join the adjuster strap, shown in the image to the right).
Why is CR needed when forward facing?
However, additional CR characteristics are needed when forward facing because the splitter plate is inaccessible when a CR is installed FF, so a caregiver must be able to uninstall and reinstall the CR each time the harness is rethreaded through the halo frame.
How much does a halo weigh?
A halo may weigh as much as 7 pounds, weight which must be added to the child weight when complying with CR weight limits. Also account for the combined weight when considering the caregiver’s ability to gently lift a child into the CR. Many children using halo traction have additional conditions that must also be taken into account.
What is rear facing mode on a Halo?
Rear-facing mode is heavily favored for a child wearing a halo. The child’s head and neck, which are more fragile than those of other children, are better off cradled by the CR (rather than thrown forward by crash forces). Therefore, RF mode is recommended whenever possible. Look for a CR model with a high RF weight limit; follow weight limits by adding the weight of the halo to the child’s weight, and take into account that the child may get heavier during treatment.
Can a CR be used with a halo?
Use a RF convertible or all-in- one model; RF-only CR models are too limited in the head area for a child wearing a halo. Be sure the shell of the CR is wide enough for the halo and provides enough clearance above the head (including during loading). Also, the sides must not be so high that the caregiver is unable to lift the child into the CR.
Do you tether a forward facing CR?
It’s always advisable to tether a forward-facing CR, especially when the occupant is wearing a halo. However, because the back of the CR must be accessed each time the harness is fastened and unfastened, a tether must be detached (or, at least, loosened) for each use, as well.
What is a Halo Vest?
A halo vest includes a “halo ring” or “halo crown” that is secured to the skull with skull pins and a rigid, fleece-lined vest. The vest is attached to the halo ring with adjustable metal rods or struts. Together the apparatus provides stability to the cervical column while allowing the patient to be mobile. A halo vest can be used as primary treatment to stabilize cervical fractures or used as extra support after surgery. It may be applied to patients with or without spinal cord injury e.g. patient may be a quadriplegic or have no deficits. - Some halo rings and vests are MRI compatible, Check with MRI department if test required.
What happens if you wear a halo vest?
3.4.1 Patients wearing a halo vest are at increased risk for skin breakdown and should be assessed for pressure areas a minimum of every shift with special attention to bony prominences.
Who should be notified of a halo vest fit?
Note If it is very difficult to pass a towel between the vest and skin the physician, orthopedic technician or alternate trained in halo vest application should be notified to reassess fit.
Do you put padding under a Halo vest?
3.3.3 Do not add any padding under the vest for comfort. If the vest does not fit properly notify the physician, orthopedic technician or alternate trained in halo vest application to assess and adjust accordingly.
