From wheelchair to walking: how a complex knee surgery restored a patient’s mobility

For years, Gina Reynolds lived with debilitating knee pain. Determined to keep working and caring for her disabled brother and aging father, she pushed through the discomfort, relying on canes, crutches, and electric scooters to stay mobile. However, after years of struggling, her knees became so swollen and painful that they locked at a 90-degree angle, refusing to straighten, which ultimately confined her to a wheelchair.

Over the next eight years, Reynolds faced one challenge after another, including two separate cancer diagnoses, mandatory weight loss surgery, and appointment cancellations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. But in 2024, after a successful surgery at Loma Linda University Health performed by Thomas Donaldson, MD, she was back on her feet, walking the very next day.

What started off as a limp, Reynolds pushed through her agitating knee pain, determined not to complain. But at nearly 400 pounds, she knew her knee would improve if she lost weight. This proved challenging as her mobility got more and more limited until one day she could no longer walk.

"The pain was always there, but losing my ability to walk happened so suddenly," Reynolds recalled. "One day, my knees just gave out, and that was it."

By 2017, now fully reliant on a wheelchair, Reynolds saw a doctor about her knees for the first time. She learned that not only was her weight a major barrier to treatment, but to become a candidate for an operation, she needed to lose a significant amount of weight.

Determined to get back on her feet, Reynolds began her weight loss journey by undergoing gastric bypass surgery. Soon after, when Reynolds was supposed to begin physical therapy, the pandemic caused another barrier that so many others also faced: canceled appointments.

For the next few years, Reynolds' knees were in the worst shape they'd ever been in.

"I couldn't straighten my knees," she said. "I was always sitting in a chair, and even when I was asleep, I had bolsters under my knees."

By the time Reynolds went back to the doctor in 2023, Donaldson, her orthopaedic surgeon, encouraged her to lose a bit more weight, both to prepare her for surgery and to support her overall health journey.

"For someone who's significantly overweight, there can be 8 to 20 times the risk of complications," Donaldson said. "When we talk about optimizing someone for surgery, it's about wanting the best possible outcome for the patient."

This time, Reynolds met with a lifestyle specialist who helped her lose enough weight to become eligible for the surgery.

However, the procedure, which took place in January 2024, was more complex than usual. Years of sitting had left Reynolds' knees permanently bent, making straightening them surgically challenging.

"The knees were fixed at a 90-degree bend," Donaldson said. "The hamstrings were contracted, and the quadriceps and kneecaps were stretched out. To get the leg straight, we had to shorten the femur to release the hamstrings enough for the leg to extend. We also had to tighten up the quadriceps mechanism using a technique called a V-Y advancement - basically reshaping and tightening the muscle to restore balance and function."

Despite the challenging procedure, Donaldson and his team successfully performed the operation. By the following day, physical therapists had Reynolds standing and walking, something she hadn't done in nearly a decade.

For the next few months, Reynolds wore leg braces that helped keep her knees straight, and she used a cane while gradually regaining her strength. After just six months, Reynolds was walking entirely on her own, her mobility fully returned.

Reynolds' journey not only restored her independence but also transformed her life. She now enjoys an active lifestyle, frequently visiting the beach with friends, exercising, and handling daily tasks without relying on others. With her newfound mobility, she even has plans to travel to Italy with her best friend next year.

"This is the kind of outcome that is inspiring," Donaldson said. "If, after her surgery, she still used a walker or a wheelchair part-time but had straight legs and less pain, I'd have called that a success. But she surpassed all that. No walker. No chair. She got her life back. From a surgeon's perspective, this gives us the confidence to take on the next challenging case."

Looking back on the experience, Reynolds admits that surgery changed her life. For others facing similar struggles, she encourages people not to hesitate and instead to take action by seeking help from their doctor.

"The pain isn't worth it," she said. "Surgery changed my life and I'm forever grateful."

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