Not your typical knee replacement
A rare condition meant Angela needed specialized knee surgery. She got it at South Shore University Hospital.
Standing strong: After a knee replacement, Angela is feeling great.
Angela Benedetto is no stranger to orthopedic surgeries. She estimates that since she was 16 years old, she has had more than a dozen operations.
That’s because Angela was born with achondroplasia, a type of dwarfism. This rare condition often affects a person’s bones and cartilage, which can then lead to bowlegs and joint degeneration.
In 1999, Angela had her first surgery, a procedure to lengthen her limbs. It wasn’t cosmetic, but essential: “It has helped me to function a lot,” she said. “If it wasn’t for those surgeries, I would have been in a wheelchair.” Now 42, Angela stands 4 feet, 10 inches tall. Before she began to have limb lengthening procedures, she was 3 feet, 1 inch.
One of her long-term health care challenges has been to find local physicians who have expertise in treating patients with achondroplasia. Although she was born and raised in New York, she traveled out of state for many of her earlier surgeries. But more recently, her health care experience improved dramatically when she found Northwell Health orthopedic surgeons with just the expertise she needed.
Because of severe arthritis that had developed in her left knee, she needed a total knee replacement. “I got turned down by a lot of physicians who didn’t want to perform the surgery because my case is very delicate,” she said.
Her brother had been treated by Keith Reinhardt, MD, who is chief of joint reconstruction and founder of the Institute for Joint Replacement at South Shore University Hospital, and recommended him to his sister. She recalls that in evaluating her case, Dr. Reinhardt told her he was “absolutely able” to do the knee replacement. “I was very happy and pleased when I first visited him.”
Dr. Reinhardt used robotic assisted technology in Angela’s knee surgery. The robotic system, he explained, allows surgeons to personalize surgical plans and much more accurately match a patient’s knee anatomy than more traditional approaches. That, in turn, leads to greater accuracy with the implant size.
"In patients with achondroplasia or other forms of dwarfism where the bone is smaller than usual and often abnormally shaped at the knee joint, robotics is particularly helpful because it allows 3D planning,” Dr. Reinhardt said. “We can determine the size of the bone and ensure the knee replacement implants will be the proper size and replicate the anatomy as close as possible.” Another reason Angela needed the surgery was that her limbs weren’t aligned properly, and robotics for knee replacement helps correct leg alignment more precisely.
Angela’s not just a Northwell patient—she’s also a longtime Northwell team member.
“When I walked into the consult, I wasn’t able to extend or straighten my leg. It was almost stuck in a bent position, and I was in a lot of pain.” she said. “Since the surgery, it’s been great; I’ve been able to extend my leg and bend it. I am not in pain.”
As part of her pre-operative planning, the orthopedic team’s patient navigator arranged for Angela to attend an educational session. In that class, she learned what to expect during and after the surgery, including pain management, and how to plan accordingly. “That was very helpful,” she explained. She had at-home physical therapy for the first couple of weeks after the procedure, and then continued outpatient therapy.
Not only is she a Northwell Health patient; Elmont resident Angela is a team member; she’s senior administrative assistant for Mansoor Beg, MD, a surgical oncologist. She began her career there 20 years ago as a receptionist. She appreciates the understanding that Dr. Beg and her colleagues have offered her through her various surgeries and recovery periods.
Angela’s surgical journey is not over—it’s likely that she’ll need future limb-correcting surgeries. She explained that doctors expect her left total knee replacement will last about 10 years before she needs another replacement. It depends on many variables.
She may also need a right total knee replacement before then. “If I do need that, it’s definitely going to be with Dr. Reinhardt,” she said.
