Patient Testimonials

Sana, CONSERVE® Total Hip with BFH® Technology Recipient
Sana is an elementary school principal and a competitive Martial Artist. She was trained to endure physical pain and push her limits to the max. (By Taekwondo, not the education career, although many teachers might beg to differ.)

Because of that training and endurance, it took Sana about seven years to discover that an old hip injury caused by a former instructor and overstretching, had caused severe deterioration of the joint and only total replacement could bring her back to 100 percent.

“I had been living with lots of pain. I took ibuprofen and just kept going, kept training and continued to spar,” Sana, 57, of Maryland, said. “And it kept getting worse. I had to take more and more pain medication, and I kept losing more and more of my strength and flexibility.”

She tried an intense physical therapy program. She tried acupuncture. She went to a sports medicine specialist and received cortisone shots in the hip.

“I tried everything I could think of but nothing was really working,” Sana said.

Finally she consulted with Joseph J. Ciotola, M.D., an orthopedic specialist in Baltimore. His x-ray showed that Sana’s hip joint was worn down to the bone.

“She is a very healthy and very active person, so I knew this joint was unacceptable to her,” Ciotola said. “And in fact, it wasn’t a question of if she needed total hip replacement, but when.”

Ciotola recommended Wright’s Big Femoral Head (BFH®) because it allows the greatest range of motion for active and athletic patients.

“I knew because of her Taekwondo she was going to put a lot of stress on the joint and test its limits,” he said. “She is in such good physical condition, and so physically aggressive, the Big Femoral Head was definitely the way to go for her.”

The rehab and physical therapy was not a problem for Sana. In fact, she progressed from using two crutches to one, and skipped the normal stage of using a cane. She quickly regained strength in her hip and legs, regained her sense of balance, and called it a major milestone when she started wearing high heels again.

“Yes. The high heels were a big deal,” she said with a laugh.

She returned to her demanding Taekwondo training just five months after surgery, and at about a year post-surgery she tested and passed her second black belt exam, which included a rigorous four-hour endurance test, followed by upper body techniques, forms, sparring and board breaking, under the direction of her current Master Instructor, G. Dawson. Research based training coupled with an “I Can” attitude, and the perfect hip were the reasons for her success.

“The hip is extremely important in Taekwondo,” she said. “With the kicks, it all starts in the hip. I’m glad to say the new hip is performing well. I’m having no pain and I’m probably back to 90 percent of where I was. And I’m better in some ways; my kicks are actually higher.”

“It’s a very good feeling. Emotionally, physically – it feels good in every way.”

Individual results may vary. Consult your physician for complete information regarding this product.