An advanced, innovative procedure to reconstruct a patient's severely damaged leg following a traumatic injury recently was performed at Hendrick Medical Center in hopes of avoiding amputation.

Christopher Gerzina, MD, a traumatologist and orthopedic surgeon with Hendrick Clinic Bone and Joint, led the team in performing the region's first Plate-Assisted Bone Segment Transport (PABST) with an internal magnetic lengthening nail surgery of the femur. The patient's femur failed to heal properly after previous surgeries at another facility and became infected over the course of seven years. In preparation for the new procedure, the patient underwent treatment for an infection in the femur that included removing approximately 10 centimeters of the infected bone.

"With this procedure, the goal is to regenerate bone and for the patient to eventually be able to walk again," said Gerzina. "Otherwise, the patient faces possible leg amputation, and because the damage would require an above knee amputation, fitting a prosthetic would be challenging and severely limit the patient's mobility."

The surgery involved affixing to the damaged femur portion the Precice™ Intramedullary Limb Lengthening (IMLL) System that includes a telescopic nail with magnets. During the next few months, the patient will use a hand-held device three times a day to move the metal rail system's nail a fraction at a time at the rate of 1 millimeter per day. The adjustments will help grow new bone where infected bone was removed. The internal rail system replaces a more cumbersome external frame system.

Following the growth of new bone, the patient will undergo rehabilitation to regain strength and mobility.

With the addition of Gerzina and fellow traumatologist and orthopedic surgeon Garrett Maxwell, MD, Hendrick Health has added advanced surgical procedures for patients who have sustained traumatic injuries in falls, vehicle crashes and construction site incidents.

"We are excited to make available in the Abilene region advanced orthopedic surgeries so patients can undergo care and recovery closer to home," said Gerzina.