Danielle’s Story

UM Hand and Wrist Surgeons Restore Teen’s Arm After ATV Accident

A Labor Day weekend getaway in Deep Creek did not go as planned for a Baltimore County family.

Danielle Greenstein, then age 15, was driving an ATV when it accidentally flipped and severely injured her arm. She was taken to a hospital in West Virginia where doctors stabilized her, but the situation did not look promising. They feared that they may have to amputate her arm.

In an effort to salvage her arm, the Greenstein family transferred Danielle to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC).

Led by Orthopedic Trauma Surgeons Raymond Pensy, MD and Andrew Eglseder, MD, the teams at the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital and R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center worked together to make sure that at the end of her long healing process, Danielle would still have a functioning arm and hand.

The team performed multiple complex arm surgeries to preserve her arm, including detailed wound cleanings, installing a bacteria-resistant replacement for lost bone, and replacing dead tissues.

This was a highly specialized procedure. Usually, surgeons who treat cases as severe as Danielle’s are well versed in handling massive, wartime-type wounds. UMMC has the expertise required to handle these complex injuries,” Dr. Pensy says.

Even after being released from the hospital, Danielle still had more work to do. She spent the next month at home in bed, her arm elevated and attached to an IV. She received infused antibiotics four times a day. While she required a few follow-up surgeries for a bone graft in her hip, much of her time was spent on rehabilitation efforts. She went to occupational therapy at UM Orthopaedics at Camden Yards.

Throughout it all, Danielle’s positive attitude has never waned. This positive attitude and hard work, along with the expertise of UMMC’s surgeons, has resulted in an awe-inspiring recovery. “I don’t think I would have had the same recovery with any other team caring for me. If I had stayed at the other hospital, I might have lost my arm. Now, I’m easing back into doing things I love,” Danielle says.

Watch the video to learn more about the Greenstein family’s harrowing journey of healing.