A former police officer who had been living with the long-term effects of a gunshot injury is walking a new road after becoming the first person in South Africa to receive a fully internal limb reconstruction.
Cape Town, South Africa (10 December 2025) – A former police officer injured in a shooting seven years ago has become the first person in South Africa to receive a fully internal limb reconstruction.
It’s a national first in public and private healthcare.
The advanced surgery was performed at Cape Town’s Tygerberg Hospital in partnership with Stellenbosch University. The hospital is currently among a handful of centres worldwide capable of carrying out fully internal bone transport and limb-lengthening reconstruction.
The 64-year-old patient had sustained a severe gunshot wound in 2018 and despite undergoing multiple surgeries elsewhere, continued to live with chronic pain, a fracture that would not heal, and a significant difference in leg length that affected his mobility and independence.
Tygerberg surgeons were faced with reconstructing a 50 mm bone defect and correcting a 30 mm difference in limb discrepancy. Traditionally, repairing damage of that scale would require external metal frames attached to the limb for months. It’s an uncomfortable and restrictive process often prone to complications.
This time, in a first for South African healthcare, the team used a fully internal device called a Fitbone Transport Nail that allowed surgeons to complete both the bone transport and limb lengthening without external frames.
The procedure allows bone to regenerate gradually inside the body, improves comfort levels, reduces the risk of infection, and shortens the length of time it takes for recovery.
“This operation demonstrates how far we have come in building world-class limb reconstruction capacity within the South African public sector. For patients who have lived for years with chronic pain and disability, advanced internal bone transport offers a genuine second chance at normal function,” shares Professor Nando Ferreira.
“Our unit was selected as one of only a few centres worldwide to use this procedure during its limited market release. This level of innovation reflects the strength of our surgical team, our academic partnership, and our commitment to delivering patient-centred care at an international standard.” he added.
The skills and experience developed through this new procedure could strengthen care for children born with limb differences, adults living with the effects of traumatic injury, and patients facing complex fractures later in life!
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