Patient Testimonials

Owarrenton, MICRONAIL® Intramedullary Distal Radius Implant Recipient
Owarrenton, a retired public servant for the New Jersey State Government, suffered a fall from a high platform in August, 2004. He knew immediately that he had injured his left arm and went straight to the emergency room. As does the majority of the more than 300,000 people who suffer from a fractured wrist each year, Owarrenton was treated with the current standard of care—a cast covering the wrist and forearm.

A few days later, Owarrenton started to experience aches, pains and swelling in his left wrist, and found the cast to be extremely uncomfortable. He suspected that his wrist was not healing properly. Two weeks later, x-rays confirmed that the bones had not been set properly. It was at this visit that Owarrenton met Dr. Virak Tan, Assistant Professor of Orthopedics at New Jersey Medical School. Dr. Tan explained that about 70 percent of patients with wrist fractures treated only with a cast experience improper healing. In those cases, surgery is usually the next treatment option. To address his patient’s concerns about surgery, namely scarring and prolonged recovery, Dr. Tan recommended a new minimally invasive procedure using the MICRONAIL® Intramedullary Distal Radius Implant.

The MICRONAIL® implant is an innovative surgical wrist repair device that enables patients to regain some use of their wrist in as little as 1-2 weeks, as opposed to the traditional average recovery time of three months associated with casting. This permanent implant resides completely within the bone, eliminating the common negative side effects of other surgical treatments. For example, commonly used bone plates and screws can rub against tendons and other soft tissues causing painful irritation. Bone plates also leave fairly large scars whereas the procedure involving the MICRONAIL® implant is minimally-invasive.

On August 24, 2004, Owarrenton received the MICRONAIL® implant and was in and out of surgery in less than one hour. He experienced minimal pain and discomfort in the days and weeks following the procedure. In fact, Owarrenton abandoned the prescribed pain medication just two days after the procedure. Only two weeks after surgery, Dr. Tan removed his temporary cast and Owarrenton was moving his wrist without pain. Physical therapy has restored all movement and flexibility to his wrist, and Owarrenton could not be more pleased with this recovery.

“When I was first treated for my broken wrist with just a cast, the pain and discomfort were unbearable. My wrist was swollen and I couldn’t even wiggle my fingers because my wrist hadn’t been set properly,” said Owarrenton. “But then Dr. Tan implanted the MICRONAIL® and now my wrist has completely healed. I can move my wrist without any pain!”

These results are specific to this individual only. Individual results and activity levels after surgery vary and depend on many factors including age, weight and prior activity level.
There are risks and recovery times associated with surgery and there are certain individuals who should not undergo surgery.
Only a physician can tell you if this product and associated procedure are right for you and your unique circumstances. Please consult with a physician for complete information regarding benefits, risks and possible outcomes.

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