Patients

Patient Testimonial

Destiny, REPIPHYSIS® Expandable Implant Recipient

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When nine year-old Destiny fell on a wet kitchen floor in late December 2009, her right knee took the brunt of the impact. However, after a spot check from her mother Molly, she was back on her feet with no visible sign of injury. Although neither could have realized it at the time, this seemingly harmless event would mark the beginning of a harrowing and potentially life-threatening journey.

The next day, Destiny developed a limp that did not go away. The following week, Molly noticed that the limp had significantly worsened and that Destiny’s right knee was swollen. Suspecting a sprain or fracture, Molly took her daughter to the emergency room near their home in Manassas, Virginia. While the X-ray did reveal a very small break in the bone, much more concerning was a large black spot that obstructed the image of Destiny’s knee. Molly brought Destiny to Inova Fairfax Hospital for a series of tests that would confirm her worst fears: bone cancer.

Fortunately, the cancer hadn’t spread and the oncology team developed an ambitious plan - three months of chemotherapy to shrink the tumor, a knee replacement to completely eradicate the tumor and six additional months of chemotherapy to destroy any leftover cancerous cells.

Although the beginning of chemo was hard on Destiny, her upbeat attitude and cheery demeanor helped her complete the first part of her treatment. “I could not believe how strong she was,” said Molly. “Most adults wouldn’t have handled it as well as Destiny did. She was determined to not let cancer beat her.”

On March 25, 2010, Destiny underwent a seven-hour operation, led by Dr. Felasfa Wodajo, the Director of Musculoskeletal Oncology at the hospital, to remove the tumor and replace her knee and the lower part of her thigh bone. To compensate for the obvious impact of a knee replacement on Destiny’s growth, the medical team inserted the REPIPHYSIS® Expandable Implant, a unique endoprostheses designed for patients whose bones have not reached physical maturity. The REPIPHYSIS® implant allows children to have their "replacement bone" grow with them and instead of undergoing repeated surgeries to extend the bone, as is the case with non-expandable implants, the REPIPHYSIS® system uses an electromagnetic field to slowly lengthen the implant internally.

Just two days after the surgery, Destiny was on her feet with the aid of crutches and just a few weeks later, was able to walk without any assistance. Her life was one of organized chaos - she began physical therapy, resumed her chemotherapy and continued her education through home schooling. However, through it all, she handled it like a pro and was well enough to attend a week of camp in August.

Destiny completed her last chemotherapy treatment in September 2010 and later that month had her first leg lengthening. Dr. Wodajo activated a magnetic field outside of Destiny’s knee which softened the plastic inside the REPIPHYSIS® implant and allowed the spring inside of the implant to expand. The process took less than an hour to perform and Destiny quickly regained her range of motion.

As 2010 draws to a close, Destiny is inching closer to resuming the normal life of a nine year old. She is due to have another leg lengthening procedure soon and can expect to have them every few months. Meanwhile, there are no traces of cancer in her body and she can move around freely with virtually no restrictions. She is back to school part time and Molly believes that Destiny can transition to full time in early 2011.

“In hindsight, falling on the kitchen floor was a blessing in that it allowed us to catch the cancer before it spread outside the bone,” said Molly. “I can’t say enough good things about Dr. Wodajo or the REPIPHYSIS® implant. They are giving Destiny her life back.”