Cancer and Clinical Services Patient Stories

Lorie Bodfield, 55, of Athens, Ohio, had lived with the painful side effects of rheumatoid arthritis for more than two decades. When she experienced severe pain, she modified her behavior and moved on with life.

But in January 2018 she suffered a debilitating fall that left her elbow nearly unfunctional. Her local doctor sent her to Columbus, where she consulted with oncologic surgeon Joel Mayerson, MD.

Because rheumatoid arthritis had left her bones very thin and fragile, Mayerson suggested using a device newly approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that would result in bone and joint stability without requiring fully invasive elbow replacement surgery.

“I told Dr. Mayerson I wanted to be able carry my grandson and take care of my spouse, who is being treated for cancer. This procedure gave me the best chance at full-functionality in the quickest time period,” says Bodfield.

She had the procedure February 28, 2018, and could use her elbow right away after surgery. She will continue therapy to achieve full extension and build strength. For now, no lifting, pushing or pulling but in a few months her medical team expects her to be able to function with minimal restriction.

Bodfield was the first patient in the United States to receive the IlluminOSS bone implant device after it received FDA approval in January 2018 for the treatment pathologic bone fractures that occur in diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and cancer.

“Total joint replacement is a big, complicated surgery. This new device allows us to repair the humerus, radius and/or ulna bone shaft through a minimally invasive, durable procedure.  It turns a two-hour operation into a 20 minute procedure and it allows us to customize the repair based on the specific patient’s bone defect.”

Mayerson explains it this way: Think of the bone as a pipe. A disease like bone cancer or rheumatoid arthritis eat the walls of the pipe and makes the bone weak. This can cause severe pain and puts patients at a much greater risk for fractures.

The new device serves as a reinforcement structure inside the damaged bone by providing additional strength for the damaged bone. It also helps keep the broken bone appropriately aligned so it will heal.

To perform the procedure, the surgeon makes a small incision and guides a balloon guide wire up through the bone canal. The balloon is expanded inside the bone and filled with a liquid monomer that allows the surgeon to fill the patient’s unique bone structure entirely.

The procedure is covered by most medical insurance plans. Mayerson and team were involved in the preclinical and clinical testing of the IlluminOSS system that led to device development. Mayerson does not have any financial interests in the manufacturer of the device, IlluminOss Medical.