Emerg Replacement for Black Clips Re: I can't get any help from any orthos

[Guest guest]

,

There is a simple temporary fix for broken black clips. Prior to

2001, there were no such thing as the black clips that we knew

about. The earlier versions of the bar that we got at the U of Iowa

were held together with automotive hose clamps that can be found in

any autoparts store. They tighten and loosen with a screwdriver and

are easy to put on. Wal-mart, Target, K-Mart, Sears automotive

sections or any autoparts store or gas station would also have these

types of clamps.

The clamps cost $1-$2 dollars and worked fine for a year or two until

we got a new bar that used the black clips. You can see the hose

clamps holding our son's bars together in a photo at his story web

site at

http://www.vh.org/pediatric/patient/orthopaedics/clubfeet/egbert.html

We put a padded cover over the clamps and bar after about 6 months.

For a long term fix and replacement of the black clips, call American

Prosthetics at the U of Iowa. Michell Hall at or Don

Shurr, CPO Iowa City, IA at dshurr @ inav.net

has a page that lists all of the companies and contact phone

numbers, e-mails etc for the makers of all of the parts at

http://pages.ivillage.com/ponseti_links/id11.html

and (3-17-99)

>

> Hi all,

>

> Haven't posted in awhile. I am so mad right now. Isabella sees

> Dr.Dobbs at shriners in St.Louis we live 2 hours away. Well the

> black clips on her brace came loose and broke while we were

> tightening them up. We barely put any force on them and they broke.

> I have called every ortho around here just to get a set of black

> clips and they kept telling me know we can't do that. I called

> Dr.Dobbs office at childrens and his nurse said no you have to call

> shriners and make an appointment with them we don't use any

shriners

> brace. I said its the same DBB as everywhere else well Dr.Dobbs

uses

> a new one now that he came up with I am thinking HELLO I am sure

> they still have the black clips to hold the bar together. I even

> called Dr.Ponsetti His secretary wasn't there so someone else

> answered and man she was rude to me. Why are they being like this

> just for the black clips on the bar? I honestly don't want to drive

> 2 hours for these clips. Can anyone help me locate some?

> Thank you

>

> Mommy to Isabella bilateral cf