Jenifer Rotenstreich is a mother of two and a freelance photography stylist. She was very active--enjoying running, weight lifting, aerobics, spinning, tennis and dancing--before a fall from a second-story height caused multiple fractures in her back and pelvis.

Jenifer's fall caused burst fractures (crushed in multiple directions) in her lower back (T12 and L1 vertebrae), which resulted in development of Cauda Equina, which compresses the spinal cord and could lead to paralysis or Tethered Spinal Cord, Syndrome. She also suffered a sacrum fracture (the five fused vertebra that connect to the pelvis) and an unstable pelvis fracture. "Spinal nerve injury resulted on the side of my right lower leg and bottom of my foot. I also have partial numbness on the right side of the vaginal area," she explains. Jenifer had surgery to reconstruct and stabilize her multiple fractures, including the placement of a bone graft from her pelvis to her spine to "fuse" it together.

"Both the spine fracture and the pelvis fracture would have resulted in deformity and disability without surgery," John Kirkpatrick, MD, explains. "This would most likely have limited Jenifer's walking requiring her to use a cane and or braces. It also would have affected her ability to maintain active care of her children and household, and she would have been unable to participate in exercise programs and classes." After her surgery, Jenifer was in a wheelchair for three months. She was unable to lift anything, bear any weight or perform daily living activities. She was unable to work for an entire year and participated in weekly physical therapy sessions to regain her strength and stability.

Now, Jenifer is able to once again do many of the physical activities she enjoys, including picking up and holding her kids. She instructs a spinning class and regularly dances and jogs. She proudly participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, completing the 5K run in 36 minutes. "My injury made me realize life is so short, [and to] appreciate each day. If the doctors had not had the knowledge and research tools they did, my outcome could have resulted in possible death or disability for the remainder of my life," she asserts.

Fractures, particularly of the spine and pelvis, are often devastating, resulting in lasting lifetime consequences such as disability, poor health, chronic pain and loss of productivity. "Minimizing these consequences by improving treatments for better and faster recovery is critically needed and affects all members of our society," Dr. Kirkpatrick notes. "Funding of musculoskeletal research remains disproportionately low when we consider the impact on the population."