Cancer and Clinical Services Patient Stories

Broc Potts, 31, is the epitome of the phrase “tough as nails.” Determined and tenacious, he determinedly finished several savage races, completed the warrior run and regularly chops wood on his property — doing all of this with a prosthetic leg.

At age 12, Broc’s leg was amputated above the knee due to osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer that affects about 1,000 people annually, with about half of those cases occurring in children and teens. Although Broc doesn’t allow his prosthetic limb to keep him from embracing a full life, it has limited his ability to be as active as he’d like to be.

Broc’s work requires him to stand for long periods. Traditional prosthetic devices use a cup called a socket to attach to the skin and tissue of the amputated limb. Although there have been improvements in the custom fit and comfort of traditional prosthetic devices, many people still experience persistent tissue breakdown that makes it debilitatingly painful to walk or stand.

When the pain and sores caused by Broc’s prosthetic limb became so severe that they sidelined him from both his active lifestyle and his work, he turned to Dr. Joel Mayerson, his orthopedic oncologic surgeon at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James), for alternative solutions.

Dr. Mayerson suggested he consider osseointegration, a new procedure that involves surgically implanting a metal bar in the thigh femoral bone that penetrates the skin and soft tissue of his residual limb and connects directly to a snap-on prosthesis. Because the prosthesis has a stable connection to the metal bar rather than relying on a socket to suspend from the skin and soft tissue, it produces less friction.

“Osseointegration allows the artificial limb to function more naturally and takes pressure off the residual limb, preventing painful issues associated with socket prosthetics, such as friction, blistering, tissue degradation and skin problems,” explains Dr. Mayerson, director of perioperative services at the OSUCCC – James and a professor in the Ohio State College of Medicine.

It is not a simple or fast fix — successful osseointegration requires two surgeries and a long-term commitment to physical therapy. But Broc was a perfect fit for the procedure and was willing to commit for the long haul, starting the process in December 2020.

Although progress takes time, he says he is patient and determined because he knows this procedure will give him more freedom to move without pain.

“The blisters were so bad,” Broc says. “There were many times I would just have to grind my teeth and plow through the pain. This new leg is programmed to walk for me on low, medium and high speeds. I look forward to actually enjoying a visit to the zoo with my family and places that require long walks without worrying that I'm going to be in pain or fall.”

Broc is continuing his physical therapy to build strength and stamina with his new leg. He is looking forward to being fully recovered and getting back to his life.