Imagine being eleven years old and learning that you have a genetic condition that affects your knee. Nathan Drennan did not have to imagine this, because he experienced it himself. Nathan has a mutation in his DNA that caused him to be missing a muscle that helps keep his kneecap in place.
Nathan explained that he underwent ligament reconstruction surgery, which is a procedure used to repair a damaged ligament using a tissue graft. There are two main types of grafts used in this surgery. An autograft uses tissue from the patient’s own body, while an allograft uses tissue donated from another person. In Nathan’s case, he received an allograft from a donor cadaver.
Nathan said that his knee did not hurt much after the surgery, but wearing the brace was uncomfortable. He also shared that he will likely need another surgery in his twenties, once his growth plates close. Growth plates help bones grow and develop, and once they close, doctors can make further adjustments if needed.
Nathan required growth plates to help stabilize his knee because the area was weak after surgery. These plates help support and strengthen the knee while it heals and continues to develop.
Fun facts about knee surgery show how common these procedures are. Over 700,000 knee replacement surgeries are performed each year in the United States alone, and about 2.5 to 3 million occur worldwide. The most common type of knee surgery is total knee replacement, which replaces the entire knee joint and is usually performed on people with osteoarthritis. One of the least common procedures is knee osteotomy, which involves realigning the joint or adding a bone wedge to help evenly distribute weight. This surgery is most often performed on people between the ages of forty and sixty. Knee replacement surgery is also more common among people with arthritis.
Many people experience medical challenges like Nathan’s. Despite everything he has gone through, Nathan does not let it stop him. He continues to push forward with strength and determination. Nathan Drennan’s story is an example of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity.
