UNDATED (WJRT) — (07/20/10) — A new kind of implant can save children’s lives and their limbs.
HealthFirst reporter Leslie Toldo tells us about this new treatment for the most common childhood bone cancer.
Osteosarcoma usually strikes in the leg, just above the knee. In the most challenging cases, amputation is the only option.
This new implant may change that.
Step by step, Haley Richardson is beating cancer. Last year, an MRI revealed a tumor in her right femur. To eliminate the cancer, doctors had to remove bone in Haley’s thigh.
Her leg was saved thanks to this implant. It connects her remaining femur to her lower leg with a hinge joint to replace her knee. As Haley grows, this unique prosthesis can be extended to grow with her.
“Traditional implants for growing kids didn’t work, and they didn’t work well because the child is growing and the implant doesn’t grow,” explained Dr. Mary I. O’Connor, an orthopedic surgeon at the Mayor Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. “We put a little coil around Haley’s leg and we can turn that on, and that emits a signal that’s picked up by a receptor in her implant that expands the coil so the implant actually lengthens.”
“At first, I was a little scared of it. But now I’m starting to get used to it,” Haley said. “Now I’m starting to walk on it a little more than I did.”
Haley’s still getting the hang of her new knee and finishing up her chemo.
Life is now full of possibilities.
“She’s going to be able to ride a bike. She’s going to be able to swim. She’s going to be able to dance at her prom. You know, important things like that,” O’Connor said.
A brave little girl who is painting a picture of a big, bright future without cancer.
This device is perfect for young bone cancer patients who still have growing to do.
It is expensive, however, costing about $30,000.
When Haley is all grown up, doctors may give her a permanent, fixed implant.
BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma is a type of cancer that starts in the bones. Every year, about 400 children in the United States are diagnosed with the cancer. It is the most common type of cancer that develops in bone. Most osteosarcomas occur in children and young adults. Teens are the most affected age group; however, this type of cancer can occur at any age. Osteosarcoma usually develops in areas where the bone is growing quickly, such as near the ends of the long bones. Most tumors develop in the bones around the knee, either in the distal femur (the lower part of the thigh bone) or the proximal tibia (the upper part of the large lower leg bone).
TREATMENT: The most common treatment for osteosarcoma is surgery, and sometimes, amputation. In addition, chemotherapy is also typically required. According to the University of Texas Cancer Center, treatment usually begins with chemotherapy, then surgery, then post-surgery treatment (chemotherapy, radiation and sometimes hormone or biological therapy). These post-surgery treatments ensure the remaining cancer cells have been completely destroyed. In the past, before technological advances and medical breakthroughs, amputation was the only option. Nowadays, doctors aim to save the child’s leg and safely remove the tumor without amputating the leg.
NEW TECHNOLOGY: “Today, there is a newer alternative: a femoral prostheses that grows with the patient,” Mary I. O’Connor, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon from the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., told Ivanhoe. “The device can be adjusted for patient growth by heating the plastic structure of the implant, which uncoils an internal spring and stretches the patient’s leg to the appropriate length.”
A benefit of this newer replacement is that multiple operations are not necessary as the child grows and develops. The prosthesis can be adjusted just a few millimeters at a time. This feature makes the implant especially attractive for younger patients who still have some growing to do. Unfortunately, many insurance companies do not cover the prosthesis, and the cost is around $30,000.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Cynthia R. Nelson, Public Affairs
Mayo Clinic Florida
Jacksonville, FL
904-953-0464
nelson.cynthia1@mayo.edu
