Teen Loses Leg to Cancer, Gets New Knee From Backward-Facing Foot

A Canadian boy battling a rare bone cancer has a new knee, thanks to his now-backward-facing foot.

Jacob Bredenhof, 14, is undergoing his 14th round of chemotherapy since being diagnosed last summer with osteosarcoma, which created a hard growth in his thigh, according to Caters News Agency. Scans showed his femur was rife with the cancerous tumor, leaving his leg bone prone to snapping if too much pressure was placed upon it.

That forced the teen to use a wheelchair to get around.

He underwent a radical surgery in October, when doctors spent nine hours removing a portion of his leg. The limb was rotated 180 degrees so that his toes faced backward. The ankle now works as a knee joint, providing more mobility than if the leg had been amputated. 

Eventually, he will be fitted with a prosthetic.

“The amazing part of rotationplasty is that they preserve the good part of your legs and ankle, which become your new knee and is naturally functional,” mom Tracey Bredenhof told Caters News. “I have no doubt that Jacob will play basketball and other sports again, his drive matches his character and he has never shown any signs of self-pity."

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