Susan Cossabone always had a gift with horses and a passion for riding. This all changed in 2009, when a car struck her vehicle head on. Susan's badly injured leg was saved with titanium rods. "I hoped I would walk again," she said, but was told her riding days were over. Later, the metal rods broke and the doctors discussed amputation, but Susan refused to accept it. In April 2010, her doctor applied AlloStem® Bone Growth Substitute to try to jumpstart her body's reproduction of bone in the injured leg. By December, bone began to grow. By January 2011, Susan's leg no longer risked amputation, and in the spring, Susan realized her initial goal: walking again. She looks forward to returning to her passion of horseback riding.

Susan's Story

Susan Cossabone always had a gift with horses and a passion for riding. To fulfill that passion, she owned a 10-acre ranch, Hidden View Farm, with 26 horses. Not only did she ride hours each day, Susan also rode competitively, helped retrain difficult horses, and set up an equine summer camp for at-risk and mentally and physically disabled children. Her passion kept her motivated as she managed most of the ranch alone.

This all changed on a snowy day in 2009. Driving home from dropping off a friend, a car slid out of its lane and struck Susan's vehicle head on. Her injuries were grave: on her right leg her kneecap was ripped off, both her tibia and fibula were fractured and her foot was dislocated.

Once at the hospital, Susan's leg was saved with surgically implanted titanium rods. "I hoped I would be able to walk again,” she said. Despite this hope, Susan was told that she could never ride again. As a result of her injury, she had to greatly reduce the number of horses she owned, from 26 to 10. Her summer camp was unable to continue, but the remaining horses were taken care of thanks to generous help from previous campers.

In a heartbreaking development, her injury became worse; the metal rods in her leg broke and the doctors began to talk about amputation. Susan refused to accept that option, but nearly every doctor she saw told her the same thing. She could not walk at all by this point, and spent all of her time in a wheelchair.

Desperate to avoid amputation, she found Dr. Mark Myerson through an internet search. "He was the only doctor who did not talk only about amputation," said Susan. "He promised me nothing except his help." Susan did not have the option of a traditional ankle replacement because when the rods in her leg broke, the screws became embedded in her ankle, causing even more damage.

In April 2010, Susan began the first of several surgeries with Dr. Myerson that would attempt to repair her leg. First, her entire ankle was removed and bone cement was added to take the place of missing bone. In the second surgery, Dr. Myerson added bone grafts to the ankle, and in a third surgery he added AlloStem Bone Growth Substitute in an attempt to jumpstart her own body's reproduction of bone in the injured leg. AlloStem uses stem cells derived from fat tissue from deceased tissue donors, which helps to stimulate natural bone formation. Susan calls AlloStem a "miracle little thing." Dr. Myerson said there were no guarantees that AlloStem would work to re-grow the bone in her leg, but by December, bone began to grow in small amounts.

Susan was told in January, 2011 that her leg no longer risked amputation. Since then, significant bone growth has continued in her injured leg. By spring of 2011, Susan was able to have her knee cap replaced and she realized her initial goal: she walked again.

Now she is looking forward to the day of returning to her passion of horseback riding. At 53, Susan has five children, including a daughter who is stationed in Iraq as a medical technician. Susan is looking forward to the day when she can send her daughter a video of her mounting a horse for the first time in more than two and a half years.