We believe it is our responsibility to continuously strive to improve patient’s experiences. And the heart-warming recognition that one of our products was able to have such a phenomenal impact on the life of one of our own colleagues, is a story we are so proud to share.
Daniela Knecht had been suffering knee pain for years when she went looking for a way to continue living her active life. The first day after her surgery with one of our Trauma legacy products, Tomofix Osteotomy System, she was up and about.
Most of Daniela’s body weight was passing through the inside of the knee, which was causing damage inside the joint. “You know how it is when you grow up and everyone tells you that you are like your grandmother?” says Daniela. “Well, in my case it was that I had the same bowlegs.”
Despite having previous operations, the first of which was in her 20s, Daniela needed a solution to enable her to continue to enjoy her active hobbies and Tomofix was able to offer her just this, with a bonus of delaying more invasive procedures as Daniela felt she was just too young for a joint replacement just yet, having an active sporty lifestyle.
After consulting with her Orthopaedic Surgeon, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans revealed that Daniela had low-grade deformity within the knee and that the cartilage had deteriorated on the head of the femur, but the meniscus and other biomechanical properties of the knee were still intact.
Surgery to correct the axis of the knee using Tomofix was decided upon. The system has five locking compression plates – each of which is suited to a different part of the tibia to provide stable fixation. Small sections of bone are either added or removed, above or below the knee joint for realignment of the joint so that the body weight is no longer focused on the damaged part of the joint.
Daniela recalls “The first day I was back up on crutches, I was walking around, and it felt fantastic! For the first time in years I was without pain, even though I had just come out of surgery. Six months later I am planning for the right side. I know I will be a joint replacement candidate one time in my life but not in the next 10–15 years”.
We are proud to be J&J.