LEIPZIG, Germany — There are a variety of ways to fabricate sockets but with any method there are pros and cons. According to Lonnie Nolt, research engineer, Ohio Willow Wood, the traditional plastic casting method is widely accepted even though…
Month: May 2012
Less is more for in-home exoskeleton
LEIPZIG, Germany — From an engineering perspective, an exoskeleton has two main characteristics — strength and endurance. The question posed by Homayoon Kazerooni, PhD, professor of mechanical engineering, University of California at Berkley, was how to combine these two properties…
Prosthetists choose few different designs in foot selection survey
LEIPZIG, Germany — Gerald Stark, MSEM, CPO/L, FAAOP, vice president of education and product development, Fillauer Companies Inc., created a survey in 2005 to find what type of foot prosthetists advocate for their patients. In 2011, Stark created another prosthetic…
Clinical observations of three patients fit with powered prostheses
LEIPZIG, Germany — Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is the arrival site for wounded war veterans including the approximate 1,465 amputees due to the global war on terror. The facility has cared for approximately 430 multi-limb amputees. According to…
Expedited fitting works with collaborative team approach
LEIPZIG, Germany — John Miguelez, CP, president, Advanced Arm Dynamics, regularly sees complex patient cases with high level amputations. Before any issues are addressed, he and his team spend time with the patient to understand their goals and expectations. The…
Upper extremity technology plays catch-up
LEIPZIG, Germany — The human hand is a complex system of 27 bones, 33 muscles and 22 axis movements. When the hand is put into numbers, it becomes easier to recognize the complexities biomechanical engineers face when developing upper extremity…
Keynote speaker analyzes the expectations of the O&P spectrum
LEIPZIG, Germany — Bengt Soderberg, CPO, managing director, Scandinavian Orthopaedic Laboratory, discussed how expectations from all members of the O&P spectrum — from user to third party payer — contribute to the complexities of a lower extremity device fitting. Soderberg…
HUD offers housing funds for people with disabilities
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it is offering $85 million to state housing agencies to provide supportive housing for low-income people with disabilities. HUD expects that more than 2,800 disabled people will benefit from…
SCRA prosthetics team wins Przirembel Prize
A SCRA research and development team was honored with a Przirembel Prize for Collaboration in Technology and Product Development for their work in creating durable and comfortable prosthetics and orthotics for wounded warriors under the Prosthetics and Orthotics Manufacturing Initiative,…
IPC and IOC extend agreement until 2020
The International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee signed an extension to their current agreement, which will continue IOC support for the IPC and the Paralympic Games until 2020 and ensure that both the Olympics and Paralympics will be held…