Man walks again after growing new bone

Updated

A 24-year-old man from Toowoomba in south-east Queensland has thanked Brisbane doctors who helped him walk again by growing a new bone.

Hosea Eising shattered his left leg in a dirt bike crash last February.

He has spent the last 18 months receiving treatment at the Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) in Brisbane and has had eight operations to help him walk again.

Mr Eising says after the accident there was little talk of him regaining use of the limb.

"My leg was basically on a wing and a prayer of being amputated because the damage was so severe," he said.

The Toowoomba Hospital referred him to the PAH where he met specialist Dr Cameron Cooke.

"He lost a segment of his bone, there was a large defect there and the options were to consider amputation or to do a bone transport," Dr Cooke said.

The technique, developed in Russia, involves fitting a metal frame, known as an 'Illizarov Frame' to the outside of the leg.

Wires attached are attached to both ends of the broken bone and a small section of bone is cut allowing new bone to grow as the frame is moved down the leg each day.

Using the procedure, Mr Eising was able to grow one millimetre of new bone each day for three months.

"'It involves a lot of teamwork, its multiple procedures and a lot of time in the operating theatres," Dr Cooke said.

"Twelve centimetres is a lot of bone, often bone defects are a lot smaller than that.

"Hosea has done very well and has had no complications at all and is back walking without any walking aids."

Today, Mr Eising walked back into the hospital to thank the medical team which helped him walk again.

He says his recovery still has some way to go but he is very thankful the procedure was a success.

"I just want to give a huge praise and thanks to God for the talents that he has given the surgeons," he said.

"I was on crutches for 233 days and after I got out of hospital I worked out.

"So it was late last year that I was walking around with crutches with the frame in.

"I was released from hospital the day after the operation and I walked out of hospital unassisted by crutches which was a huge step forward for me."

Walking back into the hospital today he said he was feeling great.

"Absolutely awesome feeling - it's been a long time coming but I thank God for giving me the strength to persevere through thick and thin," he said.

As for getting back on his trail bike, he said that may take some time.

"I haven't touched it since the accident," he said.

"In the future I'll fix it up and I'll get back in the saddle so to speak one day, [but] I think but it'll all take a long time though."

Topics: bones-and-muscles, health, diseases-and-disorders, human-interest, people, brisbane-4000, australia, qld

First posted