From what I understand they tighten 4 pins into your skull!
2007-01-02 09:53:51 · 4 answers · asked by Chester's Liver 2 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Injuries
I have not worn one, but I have put on a dozen or so. The pins do not actually penetrate the skull. I would numb the skin, where the pins needed to go, center the halo ring in the right position, then apply the pins,. They have sharp pointed, tapered points, that go thru the skin and press up against the outer layer of the skull bone. There is a special device, to tighten those pins to the correct tension, kinda like a little hand-held torque wrench. Once the pins are in, hook up the vest, apply the upright rods and once the neck is in the proper position, tighten down all the vest and upright connections. Sounds simple, but does require some skill. Reassurance, like I've just done for you, is very important to keep the patient comfortable and understanding what is going on.
2007-01-02 10:23:01 · answer #1 · answered by David B 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I fractured C2 Dec. 10 2006, had the halo brace installed on the 11th. Even though they used local anesthetic at the pin sites there was lots of pressure and pain. Today I was in to the 0rthotist to have the bolts and pins re-torqued (done every 2 weeks) . I asked him about the pins, they do go into the first layer of the skull.
2007-01-04 17:55:55 · answer #2 · answered by Colin B 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My son had to have a halo for 3 months several years ago. They first inserted pins (bolts) against his skull...2 in front above the eyebrows and 2 in back. They had him in traction for a day then they installed the rest of the hardware which included metal bars that attached to a cast that covered his torso and shoulders. Every now and then the bolts would have to be tweaked and adjusted by tourqing them. We had to keep the sights where the bolts went in very clean. I asked him how that felt, and he basically said that even though it is not a pleasant experience, it was not as bad as he expected it to be, and "you gotta do what ya gotta do...to stay alive" and he is right, generally the reason a halo is needed is because there is a very severe life threatening situation. It saved his life, and he has no regrets.
2007-01-02 21:01:00 · answer #3 · answered by catywhumpass 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
omg, i'm sure it would be the most painful thing in the universe second of course to the injury which required the person to need one in the first place...
2007-01-02 17:59:25 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋