(Danbury, CT) –
December 9, 2009 –Erin Olivo is more than just a
pretty face. Throughout high school, she noticed a dull
pain in her left knee that became so excruciating
painful in college, she feared her dreams of competing
in the Miss Connecticut pageant and helping the
impoverished across the world were torn along with her
knee. Now, the 22-year-old New Fairfield, CT resident
is standing tall again as one of the first successful
meniscus transplant recipients in the state in a
specialized procedure performed by Orthopedic Surgeon
Dr. Ross Henshaw at Danbury Hospital (http://www.danburyhospital.org/Find-a-Doc/Find-a-Doc-Details.aspx?aWRgPWA1MTE%3d).
“This procedure has been perfect timing for me as I plan
to continue my international travels with my school’s
Humanitarian Travel Club in the spring and plan to
compete in the Miss Connecticut pageant next fall,” said
Ms. Olivo, now a senior at Western Connecticut State
University who had the meniscus transplant surgery last
month. “Even better, I look forward to resuming my low
impact activities like jogging, hiking and snowboarding
finally without the pain!”
The importance of the
meniscus
The meniscus is a C-shaped disk between the thigh and
shin bones, providing cushioning between the surfaces.
When damaged, the meniscus can lead to excessive wearing
and tearing of the cartilage and chronic arthritis as
the two bones rub together.
Although many doctors treat a problem meniscus simply
through removal, Danbury Hospital’s Dr. Ross Henshaw
took the treatment one step further by performing a
meniscus transplant on Erin’s knee, a specialized
procedure that is offered in only a few hospitals
nationwide.
“Even though the meniscus transplant has been around for
about a decade, it is not typically recommended since it
is a very complex procedure and doctors know that a
patient can live without a meniscus for the short term
even though arthritis will inevitably set into the bones
after about ten years,” said Dr. Henshaw. “In Erin’s
case, early arthritis was just not an option for her
extremely active lifestyle. This combined with the fact
that she was perfect candidate for the procedure, having
normal, healthy cartilage and straight knee alignment
sealed the decision.”
How is the meniscus
transplant performed?
The specialized meniscus transplant procedure involves:
-
Measuring the size
of a patient’s bone through x-rays
Submitting the
measurements to a tissuebank,
which then send a matching cadaver transplant graft
Shapingthe
donor meniscus and bone to create a custom key and
lock fit within the patient’s knee
Using a camera and
specialized instruments to sew the donor tissue to
the patient’s knee
Dr. Henshaw notes that only 1 ˝ to 2-inch incisions are
needed on either side of the knee and most patients are
back on their feet engaging in normal activities within
six months.
Benefits of surgery
“Again, the meniscus transplant procedure is not
designed to get you back to being a professional
athlete or marathon runner,” adds Dr. Henshaw.
“It helps to restore the normal cushioning of your knee,
while helping to prevent the progression of debilitating
arthritis.”
“The fact that I would be faced with knee pain and
crippling arthritis by the time I was 30 was a scary
issue for me since I didn’t want old age to come so
quickly!” said Olivo.
Dr. Henshaw surmises that the meniscus transplant
procedure will become more popular as education to
internists and patients improves, as well as more
orthopedic surgeons recognize it as a successful option
for patients with otherwise normal knee structures who
have lost their meniscus due to serious injury
“The result? Reduced pain, improved function and less
chance of early arthritis for patients!” concludes Dr.
Henshaw.
About Danbury Hospital
Danbury Hospital’s surgical staff offers the full
spectrum of orthopedic care for residents of Connecticut
and New York. More than 800 patients per year choose
the 371-bed regional medical center and university
teaching hospital for their joint replacement surgery.
Its teams of board certified orthopedic specialists have
adopted proven, minimally invasive procedures for
orthopedic surgery, meaning less pain and faster
recovery.
Danbury Hospital is a
371-bed regional medical center and university teaching
hospital associated with New York Medical College, the
Yale University School of Medicine, the Connecticut
School of Medicine and Columbia University Medical
Center. The hospital provides centers of excellence in
cardiovascular services, cancer, weight loss surgery,
orthopedics, digestive disorders and radiology. It also
offers specialized programs for sleep disorders and
asthma management. Medical staff members are board
certified in their specialties.
Danbury Hospital is ranked in the top 5 percent of
hospitals in the country for overall clinical
performance by HealthGrades, a leading independent
health care rating organization. It is the only health
care facility in Connecticut ranked among the top 5
percent of hospitals nationwide for overall clinical
performance four years in a row.
In the area of
orthopedics, Danbury Hospital ranks in the top 5 percent
in Connecticut for joint replacement by HealthGrades.
Additional information is
available at
http://www.danburyhospital.org.
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