William: Below the knee amputation and successful recovery

Patient Sgt. Maj. (ret), is a 49-year-old male with eight previous combat deployments. He is married with four children. Patient loves helping other patients who have undergone amputations to keep them motivated so they may recover faster. He believes that with the support of someone who has gone through amputations of the lower limb, he can serve as a powerful mentor and motivator for other patients. William loved motorcycle riding and hiking with his daughter before his amputation.

William retired from the Army after 26 years of service after sustaining injuries in combat. He suffered an incomplete spinal cord injury during his 2011 tour in Afghanistan. His injuries were sustained while walking behind a soldier who stepped on a pressure plate and IED of an estimated 400 pounds. The explosion caused multiple injuries including a spinal cord injury and fractures of femur tibia and fibula. 

Patient underwent 15 spinal surgeries and eventually the fractures of his limb healed. Due to the spinal cord injury patient never regained sensation of his right leg and in 2020 the spinal cord injury resulted in a neuro autoimmune response due to spinal cord injury which in turn caused a severe ulceration and his body to go into sepsis. Patient had to undergo a below the knee amputation of right leg to save his life. William took nearly two months to recover from the amputation and was fitted with preparatory prostheses at Primecare orthotics and prosthetics. 

Patient performed daily exercise before he was fitted with his prosthetic device and was very strong. Patient was then fitted with a defensive prosthesis a couple of months later. By that time the patient was walking independently, hiking and even riding motorcycles. He has really been enjoying his freedom of movement. With the use of his definitive prosthesis and definitive componentry, William was able to go back to his daily activities – even ones he had enjoyed prior to sustaining his injury.

Patient has been very happy about his results since he was told that he would “probably never walk or walk unassisted ever again.” Patient is now able to workout daily at a local gym, run and jog, use the elliptical and lift weights on a regular basis. Patient has found a true passion for helping others in his condition. Patient states when meeting at the hospital, Eddie made him feel like there was a plan that gave him the security and confidence to know he would be walking again one day. Patient stated that the goal-setting and defined timelines talked about at the visits with Primecare really made him feel confident about his ability to walk once again. The use of his current prosthesis, which was fabricated using Ossur Prosthetics direct socket system, makes the patient feel, “like this prosthesis is part of my body and I have more control of my prosthesis.” Patient was able to get back to living a very active lifestyle thanks to the proper goal setting, latest technology and fitting techniques available from Primecare. The prosthetics fitted for this patient have been fabricated keeping the patient’s lifestyle in mind.