Osseointegration Gives Woman With Above-Knee Limb Loss a New Lease on Life
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Ruth Frieboes struggled with intense pain for over a decade after her initial amputation in 2012. Never having wholly recovered from the procedure, she had four more amputations in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2023. It took over a decade before things got better, thanks to a surgical procedure called osseointegration.
Losing a leg to gain a life
In September 2012, Frieboes had to undergo an amputation due to a rare condition known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). This neurological disorder typically occurs following an injury and, in some cases, after a limb amputation. Surprisingly, in Frieboes’ case, the condition manifested in 2009, well before her initial surgery.
Despite various efforts to salvage her right leg, amputation above the knee became the only option to save her life. “I would have lost my life if I hadn’t lost my leg,” she said in an interview with the Baker City Herald.
Nevertheless, the journey didn’t end there.
Over the next decade, Frieboes had to endure four additional surgeries as complications arose. Each surgery removed more of her right leg to ensure healthy tissue on the residual limb.
Unfortunately, her residual limb didn’t heal properly after each procedure, causing painful blisters when she wore prosthetics. Furthermore, the prosthetics would frequently slide off while walking.
Searching for a relief
Frieboes’ search for a better solution brought her across the country, yet the suggestions often circled back to more amputations or reliance on wheelchairs and crutches. Then, she was referred to Dr. Stephen Wallace of Summit Orthopaedics in Portland, who suggested osseointegration.
Frieboes was no stranger to the procedure, having encountered the word a few years before meeting Dr. Wallace. She had read accounts from patients who had undergone the procedure, but all those happened outside the US. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had yet to approve the procedure fully.
Frieboes was intrigued because osseointegration had the potential to eliminate or significantly reduce the pain she was dealing with. This innovative surgery involves inserting a titanium rod into the bone of the amputated limb. Unlike traditional prosthetics that attach via a prosthetic socket, osseointegration allows for a direct connection between the bone and prosthetic, creating a stable and natural-feeling limb.
During a medical conference, she learned she could have the surgery in Australia. But she needed $120,000 plus additional expenses to stay for three months Down Under. Frieboes couldn’t afford that.
But a few weeks later, she learned that Dr. Wallace was looking for potential candidates for osseointegration. So, Frieboes met him on March 31, 2023. That same day, she learned she was an excellent candidate for the surgery and promptly began the FDA approval process.
Frieboes was the first person in the Pacific Northwest to pursue osseointegration surgery.
In December 2023, Frieboes underwent osseointegration surgery at Portland’s Legacy Emanuel Medical Center. Just over a month later, she began to bear weight on her new prosthetic leg, and by March 2024, she was walking with the aid of a cane.
A pain-free future
The benefits of osseointegration were immediate and profound. The pain she had experienced with previous prosthetics was gone. Her prosthetic foot allowed her to distinguish between different surfaces, like grass and pavement, a sensation she hadn't felt since her first amputation.
Osseointegration not only restored her mobility but also brought a new level of comfort and natural movement.
Now Frieboes advocates for osseointegration. She wants more people to know about it. “I struggled for 11 years, and so much of my time as an amputee has been recovering,” she said.
After years of surgeries and disappointments, Frieboes can now plan for the future with excitement and gratitude. She hopes that others could also experience the same.
