12 May,2011 08:44 AM IST | | Anurag Jadli
The 17-year-old was suffering from bone cancer; treatment usually involves limb amputation
When 17-year-old Abinash Banial from Chamba valley in Himachal came to Delhi to check the cause of pain in his left leg, little did he know that he was a patient of Osteogenic Sarcoma (bone cancer) and ran a risk of having his limb amputated. Fortunately, the aspiring footballer underwent a rare surgery that changed his life only after a few cycles of chemotherapy. Today, Abinash is safe and on his feet.
Life saver: (Above) Dr Marya, who conducted the surgery.
Abinash's condition was surgically addressed using an implant technology called Limb Preservation System (LPS) which is a relatively new type of prosthetic treatment and is increasingly being used in bone surgeries related to limbs. Doctors agree that the technology can change the lives of thousands suffering from bone cancer.
The patient's X-ray showing the implant. Pics/Mid Day
Dr SKS Marya, Chairman, Institute of Orthopaedics and Joint Replacement, Max Hospital said: "Osteogenic Sarcoma is one of the most common types of bone cancer in children and teenagers. The only cure, until now was a limb-amputation. LPS is proving to be extremely useful as far as preserving the limb is concerned."
The new prosthetics are made of titanium and cobalt chrome. The material is lighter than available cement implant and is ideal for youngsters. A person with an LPS implant can lead a healthy life and can even indulge in sports. The device plays an important role in saving the loss of excess bone during a bone replacement surgery.
10 million
Approximate no. of people in India who are suffering from locomotive disability
New hope
The diagnosis and prognosis of bone cancer has come a long way from what it used to be a decade ago. The primitive external prosthetics lent a single joint mobility to the patients. But the modern reconstruction approach of LPS is helping the patients with an increased joint mobility. The latest technology has the potential to even replace the whole of thigh bone (longest bone in the body) and a single system can provide relief in as many as five cases of tumour.
