Bone Cancer Survivor Had His Foot Sewn Backward After Amputation, Got His Independence Back

(Photo: Pexels/Anna Shvets)
Bone Cancer Survivor Had His Foot Sewn Backward After Amputation But Got His Independence Back

A man with a bone tumor made it alive. His foot was amputated and attached backward, but he was grateful that the doctors did it that way.

Man Got Rotationplasty Due to Bone Cancer

Ibrahim Abdulrauf, 22, shared the shock of his life when he woke up and found out that his foot was sewn backward. According to him, he discovered that he had bone cancer after playing football with his brother in 2015. He was only 14 years old at the time, New York Post reported.

Abdulrauf was knocked to the ground by a harsh tackle. He thought he would recover the following day after a restful night.

However, he felt an electrocuting pain in his leg, so that he couldn't put any weight on it. Due to the pain, he couldn't stand and crawled down the stairs.

His mom initially yelled at him thinking he was making excuses to miss his class. He was taken to a local hospital in Birmingham, England. Abdulrauf was diagnosed with a bone infection.

He was confined in the medical center for six weeks. He was prescribed antibiotics for the infection. He returned home for three weeks and noticed no improvement in his condition.

His condition worsened, and they noticed a big lump on his leg. They thought he had a boil or cyst. When they returned to the hospital, they were referred to the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham, where they learned that he had bone cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, primary bone cancers are very rare and only account for less than one percent of all cancers. He underwent chemotherapy for six months before the doctors decided to perform a rotationplasty, a rare operation to treat bone tumors near the knee.

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What Is Rotationplasty?

Rotationplasty is a surgical procedure to amputate (remove) the central portion of your leg when there's a tumor near the knee. The lower leg (shin bone, ankle, and foot) is rotated 180 degrees, so the foot is now pointed backward.

The remaining thigh bone is rejoined. Ankles act as substitutes for knee joints. Then, an artificial limb (prosthesis) will be placed on the foot. Generally speaking, a rotationplasty gives one more function than a traditional amputation would, according to Cleveland Clinic.

In Abdulrauf's case, the doctors did it to stop the risk of cancer from spreading. Rotationplasty enables him to walk in a prosthesis.

He told New York Post that he could use his leg because the nerves were reattached after putting his leg back. Having his foot backward enabled him to use her leg the way non-amputees would use their knee.

As he reflected on the procedure, Abdulrauf admitted that he could not see himself with a backward foot. He even thought it was like Frankenstein.

After the operation, he went through five months of chemotherapy. He thought he would die, but he survived. The chemotherapy and rehabilitation were successful.

Abdulrauf had gained back his independence. He can now dance, play sports, and is self-sufficient.

According to him, he used to play badminton every weekend before he got cancer, and after the surgery and therapy, he can still play sports. Abdulrauf said he was grateful to regain his independence, knowing he could now look after himself.