May 14, 2016
Pottstown-area surgeon gives hope to patients through ankle replacement
The Pottstown Mercury

Christine Smith, 60, had badly sprained her ankle about 30 years ago, and over the years saw an increase in weakness and pain. She had gotten to the point where just taking a step hurt. Smith leads a very active lifestyle working with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania nature program and as part of the Pennsylvania Wilderness Search and Rescue team where her specialty is visual man tracking. This work requires the ability to get up and down from the ground with ease—something that had grown very painful for her over the years. When Smith first sought out an orthopaedic specialist she was told that ankle fusion was her only option. That was until she met Dr. Benjamin Overley with the Coventry Foot and Ankle Surgery practice, a specialty recently formed by Pottstown Memorial Medical Center. Dr. Overley explained a more attractive option that would allow her to maintain more mobility-total ankle replacement.

In 2014 Dr. Overley implanted the INFINITY® Total Ankle System in Smith’s left ankle and she hasn’t looked back since. Smith recalls an easy recovery which culminated in her hiking the Appalachian Trail seven months after her procedure.

Dr. Overley said ideal patients are those suffering from post-traumatic arthritis with a history of sprains or fractures. Once recovered, patients can typically ride a bike, swim, walk recreationally and play golf (with a brace).

The opinions of Dr. Overly and Christine Smith are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Wright Medical.

Any results are specific to this particular individual only. Individual results and activity levels after surgery vary and depend on many factors including age, weight and prior activity level. There are risks and recovery times associated with surgery and there are certain individuals who should not undergo surgery.

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