CHARLOTTE -- Surgeons at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte are helping patients walk better, thanks to a new limb-lengthening procedure.

Sadie Absher has always been an active little girl. At 3 years old, she was already playing soccer and taking dance classes. But one day, everything changed.

"You have a normal, healthy child and then four hours later, after a small fever that most children have, you end up with paralysis and a child that can't walk," said Jessica Absher, Sadie's mom.

Sadie, now 9 years old, was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, an inflammatory disorder that attacks the spinal cord. She eventually regained function of her left leg, but her right is still partially paralyzed.

"Over time, that leg doesn't grow as fast as the good leg, so to speak," said Jessica.

Sadie's right leg was about two inches shorter than the left, making it difficult for Sadie to walk.

"It was hurting my back and hip a lot," Sadie said.

The Abshers knew Sadie needed limb-lengthening surgery, but didn't want to use a tradition external fixator.

"It's basically a big metal cage around your leg and it's painful and you have to crank it several times a day and tighten it, and I just wasn't going to put her through that," Jessica said.

Much to the Abshers' relief, orthopedic surgeons at Carolinas Medical Center are now using a new device to lengthen the bone from the inside.  Metal rods controlled by magnets slowly pull the bone apart and allow new bone to fill in.

"The biggest thing that this device, this internal lengthening nail, is that it removes the external fixator, which was visible apparent and has complications and problems of its own for the patient," said Dr. Brian Brighton, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at CMC.

CMC is one of the only hospitals in the country with a program that uses the innovate technology.

"So patients had to travel quite a distance to have these centers of excellence prior to having the availability in Charlotte," said Dr. Brighton.

Before surgeons at CMC developed the new limb-lengthening program, patients had to travel to either Florida or Baltimore for the procedure.

Sadie said the surgery has made a big difference in her life.

 

"Now past the surgery, I stand more straight and I don't really walk like I did before," she said. "It's just more better."

 

And now she can do better at the things she loves, like wheelchair basketball, swimming and track and field.

 

"Nothing's stopped her to this point, and I don't think nothing will," said Chris Absher, Sadie's dad.