"Elisabeth's Story"
Grant :
Clinical Tissue Engineering Center
In August 2001, 22-year-old Elisabeth Marra was a soon-to-be college graduate looking forward to her future and a career in journalism. All this
was put on hold when she was involved in a tragic motorcycle accident that resulted in compound fractures of her femur and tibia. In spite of having surgery to correct the fractures, nearly two years later her bones still had not healed properly. This lingering injury caused her constant pain and little hope that she could return to the active lifestyle she enjoyed prior to the accident.
In 2003, Elisabeth read about the work of CTEC Director Dr. George Muschler, an orthopedic surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic and a leader in the use of bone marrow cells to heal chronic fractures. She made an appointment with
Dr. Muschler, to get a second opinion and to explore the use of his novel technology to help heal her own fractures.
Using a novel bone matrix and a technology he developed to capture and concentrate Elisabeth's own stem cells, Dr. Muschler was able to build and implant the bone graft that healed Elisabeth's leg and allowed her to get on with her life.
Today Elisabeth is studying physical therapy at Ohio State University, with the hope that she will be able to use her own experiences to help others struggling to rebound from traumatic injuries.
For a more
detailed description and video.
