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United States
- Glossary
- | Contact Us
- | FAQ
- | Site Index
TAYLOR SPATIAL FRAMESNTM
External Fixator
Your Core Team
You
Significant Other
Orthopaedic Surgeon
Orthopaedic Clinic Nursing Staff
Physical Therapist
Home Care Discharge Planner
You will need a special team of loved ones and specialists to guide you through the process of wearing the TAYLOR SPATIAL FRAME◊. Since your orthopaedic surgeon has chosen you as a candidate for limb reconstruction, you should know that your surgeon already has confidence in your potential for success. Knowing and utilizing your core team will help you set realistic goals so you will know what to expect at the end of the process.
Be sure to write down the names and telephone numbers of your core team to have on hand at any time that you need them during your journey with the TAYLOR SPATIAL FRAME◊. To assist you, you may download the My Core Team Contacts sheet.
You are the most crucial team member because your active participation is valuable to the success of the limb correction process. You will be required to assist with external fixator adjustments, as instructed. Without your dedicated commitment and important feedback along the way, other team members cannot operate as effectively in their roles.
It is important that a parent, sibling, spouse or close friend – someone dedicated to your well-being – be involved in the process from the beginning to the end. They need to understand the procedure and what to expect as well as you do. They also need to participate in the planning process.
Unlike some areas of medicine, limb correction requires that your surgeon be involved in every phase of the process. He or she makes the initial evaluation, performs the operation to apply the TAYLOR SPATIAL FRAME◊, plans your recovery goal and closely follows your progress. The surgeon may have an orthopedic resident, nurse or physician’s assistant specifically trained to help with the surgery, and frame construction and modification.
Your clinic nurse will coordinate the work of the entire team through each phase of your treatment. Your nurse is often the first person to answer questions, listen to concerns and advise you about problems as they arise.
Your physical or occupational therapist will conduct a pre-operative assessment of your movement ability and will work with you throughout the process to help you stay as active and independent as possible.