Bradley had major health problems

Bradley Nailor suffered from severe curvature of the spine, a condition which restricted his heart growth, breathing, and ability to walk.

Surgeons implanted titanium rods into his body to straighten his spine.

Bradley's mother, Patricia, told BBC Radio Bristol the change in him had been amazing.

Bradley Nailor, from Bath, suffered from a condition known as infantile idiopathic scoliosis.

His spine was bent at an angle of 86 degrees, causing his rib cage to crush his lungs, and preventing his heart from developing properly.

The condition crippled Bradley, and he wasn't able to be toilet trained.

Implants helped to straighten Bradley's back

The operation not only gave him the ability to walk again, but also increased his height by two inches.

Mrs Nailor, 32, said Bradley seems like a new person, now he can swim and play football with his father Adrian and six-year-old brother Cammeron.

Before the operation Bradley couldn't sit down for long periods of time and had a short temper.

He had to wear a plaster jacket, which was designed to help correct the problem.

This jacket was replaced every six weeks over three years and only managed to reduce the curvature by four degrees.

New operation

The operation was originally developed by American surgeons Dr Robert Johnson and Dr Mel Smith.

Bradley had severe curvature of the spine

To successfully operate on Bradley, surgeons at Frenchay Dr John Hutchinson and Dr Ian Nelson had to travel to Switzerland to learn the procedure.

It's the first time the operation has been used in the UK. Two similar operations were conducted in Cardiff and Newcastle in the same week.

It took the team four hours to insert two titanium rods into Bradley's back - one attached to the rib cage and the other at the base of the spine.

However Bradley will have to undergo continuining operations to expand the rods every six months until he is fully grown.

The rods will eventually be removed.