Wireless Implant Helps Vincent Stand Tall After Lifelong Struggle
Picture credit: Journal de Montréal
For most of his life, Vincent walked with a visible difference: his right leg was 15 centimeters shorter than his left.
Born in Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada, Vincent grew up wearing shoes fitted with thick compensating soles to walk properly. As a child, he was even told that amputation might one day be his only option.
“They told me there was nothing they could do,” the now-20-year-old said.
That outlook changed dramatically this past June.
At Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada, Vincent became the first patient in Canada to receive a wireless electronic metal rod implanted in his femur – a device that allows his leg to be lengthened gradually using a remote-controlled external machine. The surgery, performed by orthopedic surgeon Mitchell Bernstein, M.D., marked Vincent’s third major operation on the leg. This time, however, technology felt like something out of science fiction.
Inserted directly into the bone, the internal rod contains a small motor and sensor. Three times a day, Vincent places a round external device against his skin at a precise location. An electrical pulse connects the two devices wirelessly, activating the motor and lengthening the rod by a controlled amount.
“It’s like charging a cellphone or a wireless watch,” said Dr. Bernstein. “Once the connection is made, electricity powers the motor inside the rod, and it extends.”
Unlike traditional limb-lengthening surgeries, which rely on external fixators held in place by screws or pins that protrude through the skin, the wireless system eliminates one of the biggest risks: infection.
“We’ve eliminated infections related to external pins because nothing comes out of the skin,” said Dr. Bernstein. “This technology is a game-changer.”
Since the operation, Vincent’s right leg has lengthened by 4.5 centimeters. Each extension stimulates new bone growth around the rod, gradually correcting the discrepancy. Though his leg remains swollen from surgery, it has now reached the same length as his left.
For Vincent, the impact has been life-changing.
I’ll be able to skate, and I never thought I’d be able to do that in my life.
A college student who hopes to become an electrician, Vincent said the wireless implant was far less painful and restrictive than the external fixators he experienced in previous surgeries.
“I’m lucky in my bad luck,” he said. “I was born in 2005, at a time when this technology exists and keeps getting better.”
After years of orthopedic follow-ups and invasive procedures, Vincent is finally nearing the end of his medical journey. The remaining difference between his legs is now minimal, and he no longer needs compensating shoe inserts. Doctors expect the metal rod can be removed next summer.
“It’s a big investment,” Vincent said, “but it’s going to change my life.”
He’s already thinking ahead – skating first, jogging next.
A pair of Vincent’s shoes rests on the stairs. Photo credit: Journal de Montréal
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