Patient Testimonial
Eleanor, MICRONAIL® Distal Radius Recipient
Eleanor, 74, said she feels a bit like the "bionic woman" with a titanium rod in her right wrist – stronger, more confident, able to do anything she wants to do. She likes that feeling.
"I don't lift bricks or anything like that. But I'm able to do all the things I need to do, and it makes me feel safer," Eleanor said. She fell twice in 2004 during a five-month period and both times it broke her wrist.
In the first fall she was in line at a post office and tried to step over one of the velvet ropes used for cordoning off a section, and her coat snagged and made her lose balance. She automatically put out her right hand to break the fall, and the impact fractured the bones in her wrist near the hand. Virak Tan, M.D., Associate Professor of Orthopedics at New Jersey Medical School, set the wrist and fixed her arm in a traditional plaster cast for six weeks, after which Eleanor did physical therapy to regain strength and motion in her arm and hand.
In her second fall, she was about to get into a car when she stepped on a ledge that toppled her over. This time the break was worse, in about the same area of her right wrist. Dr. Tan told her that traditional closed treatment could be tried again, but there was a good possibility that it might not work as well as the first time because this was a worse break. Additionally, because Eleanor wanted to get back to her activities quickly, Dr. Tan recommended a new approach to treating wrist fractures, the MICRONAIL® Intramedullary Distal Radius System. It is a surgical wrist repair device that resides completely inside the bone – that "bionic" titanium rod Eleanor referred to – and requires a less invasive surgery with less scarring than traditional plating devices.
"That sounded great to me," she said. "It was a simple one-day surgery, and I liked the idea of having that extra support. The follow-up therapy went much faster and better than with the first break. So I was delighted. And it has turned out to be very successful."
Just three weeks after the surgery Eleanor said she was feeling good and was able to use her typewriter and do just about everything she wanted to do. She has experienced no pain in her repaired wrist, and she has strength and complete freedom of motion that allow her to feel comfortable and confident.
"I'm back to normal as if nothing ever happened. It really amazes me," she said. "Plus, the titanium rod doesn't set off alarms, so that's a bonus."
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.
