I was talking about Osseointegration and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I wasn’t the only one that has seen the technological achievements of the surgeons and nurses who carry out the life changing procedure.
Recently Prince Harry met with his colleague and friend, Lt Alistair Spearing, a decorated British lieutenant who lost his legs in Afghanistan, and orthopaedic surgeon Munjed Al Muderis, whose pioneering surgery has helped my client Mark to walk again after losing limbs.
Dr Al Muderis opened his own orthopaedics practice in Sydney in 2010 and has since become one of the world’s most successful orthopaedic surgeons and a pioneer of osseointegration with his patented titanium rod implant which allows for a more manageable connection between the bone and prosthesis.
Prince Harry witnessed Allistair walking again on parallel bars weeks after his successful osseointegration and commented:
“Firstly the surgery went really really well - a little bit longer than expected but these guys are learning constantly … but he (Alistair) is over the moon and thrilled to bits to be up and walking again on a new set of legs.
I think what they’re doing here is absolutely amazing. Osseointegration is, as far as I can see it, the way forward for single amputees or double amputees above the knee. I’ve been in negotiations with him [Associate Professor Munjed Al Muderis] and we’re going to get him across to the UK… because it’s life changing it really is.”
It's great news to hear that Osseointegration is finally getting the exposure it deserves. In my experience it can make a real difference for amputees who are struggling to cope with socket based prostheses for whatever reason, be it cosmetic, emotional or physical. Either way it is clear to me that it is the way forwards for some amputees and more needs to be done to ensure it becomes more readily accessible in the UK for civilians as well as military personnel, who have the benefit of MoD funding.