One Patient. One Story.

The Challenge

At nine years old, Charlie felt a strong chronic pain in his left knee. After initial X-rays, surgeons concluded that he had an osteosarcoma in his left distal femur.

To avoid an amputation of his leg, Charlie’s surgeons contacted customLINK and requested a partial femoral replacement which is able to lengthen gradually as Charlie grows up.

customLINK's solution

Based on CT data and X-rays, customLINK created a 3D model of Charlie’s femur and tibia. From this, a custom hinged knee prosthesis was designed. This was connected to a proximal cementless femoral stem by a custom growth mechanism that allows an extension of up to 90mm.
To adjust the prosthesis, access through only a small incision is necessary to extend the mechanism by 2mm per screw rotation.

On the tibial side, a polished tibial stem was vital to prevent further implant-bone ingrowth and to preserve the epiphyseal plate.

Charlie's future

The surgery was a success and Charlie and his family were satisfied with the treatment.
Days after surgery, Charlie was able to take his first steps with his custom implant, supported by under-arm crutches. The decision of opting for minimal annual invasive surgery for prosthesis extension over amputation proved to be the correct one and up to present there is no sign of tumor recurrence.

Do you have a challenge like this?

Please send us scaled X-ray and / or CT data taken according to the respective X-ray or CT protocols.

Additionally, please send us information on the desired resection size, as well as the maximal elongation of the implant.