With the aid of an external fixator attached to her leg, Ms Cringle’s left femur has defied the odds and lengthened five centimetres.

She is now on track to becoming the first person in the world to undergo a multi-faceted procedure to help her walk.

“The fixator has been removed and now we’re waiting for the bone to consolidate,” Ms Cringle, 43, of Bolwarra, said.

“Everything has gone to plan ... in fact it could not have gone better.”

The next stage will involve the insertion of a macroporous implant into Ms Cringle’s stunted femur.

The implant is being made in Germany and will arrive in Australia next week to be inserted into Ms Cringle’s

femur on February 22.

Two months later, after the muscles have grown around the implant, Ms Cringle will be fitted with a bionic leg, which is also being made in Germany.

“This certainly hasn’t been easy because the pain has been horrible,” Ms Cringle said.

“The worst part has been waiting for the bone to consolidate and no one knew how painful it was going to be because this hasn’t been done before.”

Ms Cringle was 27 and on a working holiday in England when she was sucked under a London train. Her left leg was amputated, she sustained multiple skull fractures, numerous broken ribs, her lungs were punctured and she was left with fine spinal fractures.

The nature of the leg amputation has in the past prevented Ms Cringle from being eligible for a prosthetic limb.

But late last year Ms Cringle was admitted to the Macquarie University Hospital in Sydney where a team of physicians began the first in a series of procedures to help her walk.

And while the leg-lengthening process has been performed before, Ms Cringle will be the first person in the world to undergo this procedure and have a bionic leg attached.

She will also be the first person in the world to receive

the new, lighter-style bionic leg expected to weigh between 1.5 and 3 kilograms.

“My doctor is thrilled there have been no hiccups because there were never any guarantees this would work,” Ms Cringle said. But, as expected, the journey has not been easy.

“There have been times when I’ve questioned why I have done this because it has been very hard to endure,” Ms Cringle said.

“But it will work and I’ve never had anything to lose. I was always going to give it a go. And now I’ve come this far there is no going back. I just take things one day at a time.”