Rare brittle bone surgery helps teen dance again

Jasmine has loved dancing since the age of three

A 17-year-old has said she will be able to dance without fear thanks to pioneering surgery.

Jasmine, from Nottingham, was diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta, known as brittle bone disease, after breaking eight bones by the age of 11.

Successful reconstruction work was carried out on her knee at Sheffield Children's Hospital.

Doctors said the procedure was one of the first of its kind in the UK for children with the condition.

'Life-changing'

Jasmine, who has been dancing since the age of three, said the operations would have an amazing impact.

"It will mean that I can dance without the fear of dislocating something every time I jump, spin or move too quickly," she said.

"It will be amazing to have knees I can trust and not have it constantly on mind."

Jasmine said gymnastics and dancing were a huge part of her life

The teenager said she had been breaking bones throughout her life.

She said: "The first was before I was even born - one of my mum's scans during pregnancy picked up that I'd broken my left femur.

"Our GP said I was clumsy, which I am, but the breaks were happening far too often."

After having to give up dancing for two years, Jasmine was referred to the hospital, initially for infusions to help strengthen her bones.

She said: "I remember being told I couldn't do gymnastics or dancing until my bone strength improved. It upset me because they had been a huge part of my life."

Jasmine has donated toys for children in the hospital as a thank-you

Although she returned to dancing, she dislocated her knees more than 40 times.

In November 2020, she had a medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction on one knee.

The procedure involves creating a new ligament to stabilise the knee, prevent dislocations and protect the joint from additional damage.

Jasmine will undergo the same procedure on her other knee in the next few days after a wait due to the pandemic.

The hospital said Jasmine's initial surgery, in November 2020, had been successful and that the procedure on her other knee would have a life-changing impact.

Mr Nicolas Nicolaou, consultant orthopaedic surgeon, said he was very grateful to Jasmine for fundraising she had done to support the hospital.

"She has worked so hard to overcome the issues with her knees and I hope sharing her story helps and inspires others," he said.