Osseointegration - Frequently Asked Questions

In the majority of cases, you will need only one procedure.

In very complex cases a bone lengthening or alignment correction is required prior to Osseointegration. On rare occasions, if your bone is infected, you will need a formal two-stage surgery to eradicate the infection and insert a temporary implant in the first stage, and a second surgery to exchange for the definitive implant a few months after.

Osseointegration is possible with:

• Above-knee amputation

• Below-knee amputation
• Above elbow amputation
• Below elbow amputation
• Digital/Finger amputation.

However, Osseointegration Group is the only team experienced in less common cases, such as scapula or pelvic osseointegration, for patients with whole limb loss.

Amputation is always a very difficult decision. If you have a limb condition that prevents your normal performance, you will need to be assessed individually. Before committing to amputation, it is important to make sure that your limb is not salvageable.

Osseointegration Group can assist you in making the final decision through our multidisciplinary team. A group of reconstruction and osseointegration surgeons, a pain specialist, an amputation psychologist, a prosthetist and a physiotherapist will be available to help assess your function on different levels of an individual life needs.

The short answer is ‘no’, for many reasons. Every amputation is unique in what limb is amputated, the level of amputation, the cause of amputation, the time since amputation, the individual’s bone quality, the amount of muscle and soft tissue coverage and the integrity of the skin surrounding the residual stump.

As a result, these factors are all taken into consideration when planning what options are available and therefore each surgery plan and its cost is prescribed individually to each patient.

Limb amputees with a history of diabetes have been traditionally excluded from having Osseointegration. At Osseointegration Group, we designed a special implant and developed surgical techniques considering the potential problems of diabetic patients. In fact, our OPL implant is the only implant authorised to be used in diabetic patients – meaning that diabetes is NOT on the list of implant’s registered contraindications.

The only condition is that your blood sugars are well controlled, and our multidisciplinary team will assist you with adequate diabetes management.

Absolutely! Patients can start swimming once the wound has healed and they have their doctor’s authorisation to do so.

Swimming in saltwater pools and oceans is recommended, as this will assist in healing. After swimming, whether it is in salt water, chlorinated pools or rivers it’s important to rinse the limb with soap and water, just like a regular shower.