When Memphis Elliott was born, his mother, Melanie, knew he would need treatment for clubfoot — a condition caused by a shortened Achilles tendon, which causes the foot to turn in and under. Memphis was referred to Johns Hopkins Children's Center. After wearing a cast and special boot to help his foot turn, Memphis' treatment was successful. However, as Memphis grew, Melanie noticed her son's leg still looked different. After treatment for his clubfoot, Memphis received a second diagnosis that would lead to several surgeries.
Memphis was diagnosed with fibular hemimelia, a congenital condition that results in a shorter or missing fibula bone.
The condition caused one of Memphis' legs to be shorter than the other. He wore special shoes that had one thick sole to even out his height, but as he got taller, the sole had to be thicker, eventually making it difficult to walk.
His parents and care team decided a leg-lengthening surgery would give Memphis the best quality of life.
Erin Honcharuk, M.D., pediatric orthopaedic surgeon at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, did Memphis' combined leg-lengthening and foot reconstructive surgery when he was 6 years old. During the nine-hour-long procedure, Honcharuk surgically corrected Memphis' foot position, cut the two bones in the lower part of the leg, and placed a metal frame on the outside of his leg to hold everything in position.
The recovery process for this procedure is lengthy and requires participation from the patient, their family, as well as physical and occupational therapy.
"The external metal cage has knobs that have to be turned every day. Each adjustment separates the bone segments a small amount. As the leg continues to grow, the body fills in the missing bone," explains Honcharuk.
Honcharuk says Memphis' healing process has been successful. He goes to physical therapy twice a week, sees Honcharuk once a month and, most recently, had his metal cage removed.
"He will be able to run and play outside with his friends this summer. He's going to summer camp and gets to be a normal kid," says Melanie.
As Memphis grows, one of his legs will continue to grow faster than the other, although the difference will be much less noticeable for a longer period of time. When he is a teenager, he will need another leg-lengthening surgery. But right now, while Memphis is 7 years old, Melanie is grateful for the chance to see her son be able to do everything he loves.
