Zimmer, Patients Celebrate Trabecular Metal 'Triumph'
Posted
Jordan Fouts-
Things moved quickly for Hugh Goding after he received his cancer diagnosis.
The Boulder, Colo., retiree was an on operating table seven months after getting the life-changing news. Doctors removed a third of his pelvis and he was faced with the possibility of losing a leg.
He recalled approaching the decision with his usual pragmatism Thursday in Warsaw.
“My attitude is usually to play the cards I’m dealt,” said Goding, a pilot for 40 years. “I had two choices: Keep the cancer and not be here, or take the leg off and still be here.”
Goding needed only a cane to walk around Thursday, shaking hands and thanking Zimmer employees for the reason his leg was saved.
Zimmer invited Goding to help celebrate the 15th anniversary of Trabecular Metal, a material developed in its Parsippany, N.J., lab and assembled in Warsaw into everything from dental to ankle implants.
Hailed Thursday as Zimmer’s “Trabecular Triumph,” the porous, flexible material derived from the element tantalum is uniquely condusive to bone formation, company representatives said. It was originally used in larger joints and has since been adapted to knees, shoulders, spines and bone loss treatment.
“We’ve only started to scratch the surface on how to use Trabecular Metal,” said Tim Vendrely, a marketing manager with Zimmer.
The “triumph” was used in an artificial hip for Goding.
“No other product would have been able to work for this gentleman,” said Dr. Ronald Hugate, speaking to a crowd of Zimmer employees enjoying lunch outside.
The Denver, Colo., orthopaeodic surgeon performed Goding’s procedure. Hugate related that Goding asked about doing yardwork not long after he was pronounced cancer-free.
“I’m as happy as I can be. I’m enjoying being with my grandkids,” Goding said. “I’ve been telling (Zimmer employees) thank you. Without it, and without them, I wouldn’t be here.”
His wife, Shay, said it saved Goding’s life that the Trabecular Metal product was available “on the shelf” without having to wait three months for a custom prosthesis to be made.
Willie Jones, another patient of Hugate’s, also met with Zimmer employees Thursday. Jones is a former professional motocross racer whose second articial knee contains Trabecular Metal.
He said he needed it after finding he was allergic to the cement apoxy in his first knee, which was implanted in 2007 and was not a Zimmer product.
Jones, who is now a planner for the Air Force Academy, said he’s back to rock climbing and mountain biking.
After meeting with employees Thursday, he said he was struck with the impression that they care about what they do.
“They hold a product in their hand, knowing it’s going to help somebody. It’s very impacting to me,” he said. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. I feel like I’m part of the Zimmer family now.”
