I may be the oldest PFFD. Update...I'm still around at 86 & still alert & actve!!

I believe I may be the oldest PFFD and that most of the original work was done on me at the Children’s Hospital , Boston (Brookline), MA (now known as the Children’s Medical Center) under Dr William T Green who was Chief Orthopedic Surgeon of the Children’s Hospital and full professor in Orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School. His pup and protégé was Dr David Grice.

I was diagnosed (in 1931) as, in those days, a Congenital Absence of the proximal 2/3 of the femur and acetabulum, acute (today known as a PFFD). There was a girl with a similar diagnosis but she died at age 12.

In 1942 I went through an ilio-femoral fusion where the femur was placed in 30 degrees flexion and 10 degrees abduction. My “sloppy” knee was to be used as a hip! In 1944 I went through a graft reinforcement to the femur. Because little was known I had to wait until complete ossification of the bones before further work could be done. So in 1951, 52 and 53 I went through a series of surgery preparing me for a conventional prosethis after a Symes amputation in 1953 at age 22. [My graduation present from Boston University.] Prior to this I walked with a platform brace. It took a lot of searching to find a limb company to handle this because of my short stump. Finally they located a Mr. Martino at the Boston Limb Manufacture who said he could make one. He did and I have been using a conventional prosthesis now for 54 years and counting.

In 1983 my only hip went so I have been equipped with an artificial hip (left hip) prosthesis. I also believe according to Dr Flynn who did this that I may be the first ‘one-legged’ person with an artificial hip.

I have led a relatively normal life

That’s about it! I would appreciate hearing from any one about this.