Eight year old Claire Williams is passionate about Netball and Hip Hop dancing. Yet, when Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) doctors found a 13cm mass in her lower left leg, her favourite pastimes were put on an indefinite hold.

Claire’s mass was a rare benign tumour, osteofibrous dysplasia, where fibrous tissues that make up tendons and ligaments replace bone.

RCH surgeons Associate Professor Chris Coombs and Mark O’Sullivan performed a miracle surgery on Australia Day. The surgery took nine hours to complete, taking the fibula from her right leg, and using it to replace her lost left tibia.

Head of the RCH’s department of plastic and maxillofacial surgery, Professor Coombs, said that as it plays no role at the knee, the fibula could be removed and used as a replacement tibia.

“Because tension from movement goes through the fibula bone, it makes itself enlarge, and will grow to normal size within six months to a year,” he said.

“She’ll be back to doing everything as normal”.

Claire’s father Craig Williams was delighted with the outcome of the surgery.

“We really feel blessed because she will make a full recovery, and learn to live without the bone they’ve taken out”.

Claire also became the first RCH patient whose surgery involved the use of a laser flow Doppler, a more precise blood-flow measurement device.

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