Avid traveler’s infected, fractured elbow repaired by Beacon’s multidisciplinary team

Gloria Wilkeson and her husband have always been explorers at heart, and they’re determined to get the most out of every trip, whether cross-country or overseas. So when Gloria tripped and fell at Dublin Airport in Ireland, she wasn’t about to let a little mishap slow her down.

“My rubber shoe tips caught on the floor,” she said. “Yes, it hurt. But I wasn’t going to screw up the rest of my vacation.”

When they returned to the U.S. two weeks later, she went to see a primary care physician. The diagnosis wasn’t what she hoped for: a fractured a bone in her elbow that required a soft brace. When she went back for a follow-up visit, the X-rays showed no improvement. She saw a specialist who performed two operations in six weeks, but her arm wasn’t improving.

When Gloria noticed her joint felt hot, she knew there might be more trouble. Sure enough, her elbow was infected. That’s when her doctor referred her to Beacon, where she saw orthopedic surgeon and trauma expert Dr. Eric McCoy at Beacon Bone & Joint Specialists Navarre.

“Gloria had sustained a traumatic distal humerus fracture, an injury of the arm and elbow that extended into the joint,” Dr. McCoy said. He noted that her previous procedures had been “complicated by failure and infection.”

He spoke with her about the nature of the injury and infection. “We discussed treatment options, including both nonoperative and operative. I explained that our multidisciplinary team at Beacon Bone & Joint has the specialized fellowship training to manage these injuries and complications.”

Beacon’s multidisciplinary approach

They formulated a treatment plan that specifically addressed Gloria’s needs and wishes. In addition to cleaning out the infection, Dr. McCoy removed damaged bone and the previously implanted appliance in her elbow. He then conferred with orthopedic surgeon and colleague Dr. Joel Post.

“When I reviewed Ms. Wilkeson’s complex history and multiple surgeries, I knew this was going to be a challenging case that would take several surgeries and a team approach,” Dr. Post said.

“The first surgery I performed was to ‘set the stage’ for a complex elbow replacement. We removed additional bone and infected tissue and placed an internal temporary spacer made from antibiotics,” he said.

A stubborn infection

Once the infection was gone, Gloria was ready for her next procedure. But their plan was interrupted by new symptoms. Gloria’s ankles were swollen from water retention; worse, she was having trouble breathing.

“Dr. Post sent me right to the cardiac unit. The doctors thought I was having a heart attack,” she recalls.

Her heart was fine, but she showed signs of pleurisy, an inflammation of membranes in the chest. Pleurisy can be caused by an infection, which meant Gloria’s fight against the infection in her arm wasn’t over.

With the help of expert Dr. Marjorie Daoud, Beacon Medical Group Infectious Disease, the team found an antibiotic that would knock out the infection so Gloria could recover.  “I was getting antibiotics intravenously. At one point I had to get oxygen and blood. The nurses were monitoring me all the time,” she says of her hospital stay.

Ready for what’s next

Finally, Gloria could move forward with elbow replacement surgery. Dr. Post performed the procedure in late 2024. “We replaced the end of her humerus, where she had lost bone, and replaced the elbow joint to allow her to move and use her arm again,” Dr. Post said.

Gloria appreciated his clear explanations of the surgery.

“He explained the whole procedure, what my x-ray looked like, exactly what the artificial elbow would be like, everything,” she said. “I knew exactly what was going to be happening, and that helps.”

Now that her daily life is getting back to normal, she says she’s feeling “really well.” She and her husband have started travelling again, starting with a road trip to New Hampshire to see the autumn colors, then a visit to New Orleans, her favorite destination to date.

“It was a long haul,” she says of her healthcare journey. She continues to do exercises to regain her previous arm strength, and she appreciates the care and support she received from her care team. “Everyone treated me very well.”

Learn more

When your daily life and routines have changed because of bone fractures, joint, muscle or tendon pain, it’s time to see the experts. Beacon Bone and Joint Specialists provide expert orthopedic care while helping you get back to doing what you love.