Patient Background
A 19-year-old previously healthy male, active in dance and theater, presented to the hospital with a right leg fracture sustained from a fall in his dorm room. Initial evaluation during admission revealed an underlying Ewing sarcoma of the affected limb.
Clinical Course
Following diagnosis, an external fixator was applied to stabilize the fracture while planning for future surgical intervention. The device remained in place for approximately 10 weeks. During this period, the patient was placed on strict non–weight-bearing precautions, resulting in significant immobility and ongoing pain.
Due to the patient’s limited mobility and elevated risk of deconditioning—particularly of the unaffected left leg—the care team introduced The Catalyst® bed shortly after admission.
Therapeutic Intervention: Use of The Catalyst
The Catalyst bed provided two critical components of care:
1. Pressure Offloading and Pain Reduction
- The bed’s surface helped to offload pressure points and increase comfort.
- This was especially important given his inability to reposition independently.
2. Early and Progressive Verticalization Therapy®
Verticalization Therapy began soon after placement on The Catalyst.
The goals were to:
- Initiate safe mobilization despite right-leg restrictions.
- Preserve strength and function in the left leg.
- Prevent global deconditioning.
- Maintain skin integrity and reduce risk of secondary complications.
Maintaining strength in the healthy limb was essential to ensure the patient would be able to ambulate once his surgical repair restored weight-bearing capacity on the right leg.
Progression and Recovery
Throughout the 10-week period in the external fixator, the patient continued regular Verticalization Therapy sessions without compromising stabilization of the tumor-bearing limb. When adequate healing was achieved, he returned to the operating room for removal of the external fixator and internal fixation of the bone.
Following surgery:
- Verticalization Therapy was reintroduced to safely re-initiate weight bearing.
- The patient gradually progressed from limited loading to full weight bearing.
- He eventually advanced to stepping and walking off the front of The Catalyst as part of rehabilitation.
Outcomes
The patient’s recovery trajectory was notable for:
Functional Improvements
- Transitioned from immobility to walking with a walker.
- Demonstrated preserved muscle strength in the left leg.
- Regained weight-bearing capability on the right leg with steady progression.
Clinical and Patient-Reported Benefits
- Improved comfort from the offloading surface.
- Enhanced mobility and reduced pain levels.
- Accelerated functional recovery attributed to Verticalization Therapy.
- Protection of both skin integrity and surgical stabilization sites.
The patient is currently doing well and is expected to be discharged soon, with an excellent prognosis for continued rehabilitation.