Five young women from Iowa shine as they put the history of prosthetics in the national spotlight             

The aches and pains of middle age can be the kick in the rear some of us need to start living better.

But how do you get motivated if those few extra pounds or that nagging joint pain won't show up for another 20 years?

That's the challenge Tampa's Museum of Science and Industry, or MOSI, faces with its newest addition to "The Amazing You" exhibit.

Three million visitors have watched, played with and pondered the human body from its embryonic state through adolescence since phase one of "The Amazing You" opened two years ago. It's all presented in a kid-friendly way: A gaggle of Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head dolls and parts explain heredity traits. A piano keyboard expresses the bodily belches, farts and coughs that kids consider high art.

Saturday, phase two makes its debut, completing the life cycle post-puberty and offering a glimpse into middle and old age.

The problem: About 25 percent of MOSI's visitors are younger than 18. How do you make them care if they can't relate?

MOSI spent $1 million making grownups cool. The young adult area includes a robot decked out with various artificial limbs and an artificial heart. And like phase one, the addition uses interactive quizzes and hands-on activities, including a Wii Fit-type of game that requires a player to jump around hitting colorful lights.

While there's a level of seriousness to topics such as death and the grieving process, MOSI chief operating officer Wit Ostrenko says it's critical to find a way for kids and teens to relate.

They're not going to identify with the phases themselves, he says. "But they are going to see their parents, their grandparents, their great uncle or great aunt die and ... and it's very important that they have a clue of what that is before it happens in their family."

Land O' Lakes resident Kelly Thompson likes that her son Alex, 6, will get to see the effects of unhealthy living in the new exhibit.

One example: Visitors can take a longevity quiz that asks about behaviors such as smoking and teeth flossing. The final screen offers up an expected life expectancy. Party too much and forget to floss and you may die sooner rather than later.

"I want him to see what it''s like if he doesn't take care of his body," says Thompson, a nurse.

Ostrenko says like most exhibits at the Tampa science center, the addition has its controversial parts. A portion of adult life will be dedicated to stem cell research and the evolving science. It will highlight how research uses adult stem cells and not just debate-triggering embryonic stem cells. The exhibit also doesn't shy from mentioning diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

"Those conversations will continue in the car on the way home, at the dinner table and hopefully for the rest of their lives," Ostrenko says.

If anything, "The Amazing You" serves as a reminder that life isn't pretty or easy.

But it''s nice to know it sure can be fun, from beginning to end.

click here to email Mary Shedden

TBO.COM
 

Jonathan Naber, a student from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and also a member of the Illini Prosthetics team (IPT) has won the Lemelson-MIT Student Prize of $30,000 for his work on the development of a socket less upper extremity prosthetic.

The socketless prosthetic was developed by IPT with the intention to alliviate developing contries demands for an exempensive and easy to produce prostheses.

The socketless prosthetic was designed by IPT to have the following criteria:

   • Manufacturability - in order to eliminate the use of a custom mold socket and to allow for the prostheses to be produced by local companies. 

   • Breathability - The prosthesis is designed to allow airflow into the artificial limb.

   • Wearer-Adjustability - These feature reduces the wearers dependence on specialized people to adjust their device.

Click here for more on IPT

Effective immediately: In order to help users correctly orient their liners while donning, Otto Bock will be placing an anterior distal stamp on the outside of our uncovered, custom urethane liners. The serial number is still etched on the inside, posterior surface of the liner.

This is another example of the on-going improvements that we are making to our liner portfolio.

Since March, 2009, Otto Bock custom liners have also utilized our new PUR Urethane as well as a new non-stick surface treatment for improved durability. These improvements will also be seen in our Profile and Simplicity liners starting in December, 2009.

Please contact our Product Support Specialty Team at 800.328.4058 with any questions.

 

March 2009
 View more tech tips

Given that only one joint should be paired with a remote control, it must be ensured that no other joint is within 3 meters during the pairing.

Due to missing hip muscles resulting from hip disarticuation or hemipelvectomy amputation, patients are unable to bring the knee into extension or provide heel strike onto the ground in a targeted manner.  Therefore, knee joints requiring hip extension or a certain amount of force to be applied on the heel to achieve stance phase stability are contraindicated.  The stance resistance of the C-Leg does not require stabilization of the knee through hip extensor activity or by loading of the heel in a certain manner, thereby ensuring its stability.

In addition, the flexion springs of the Helix^3D Hip Joint are designed to provide a strong flexion bias to the hip.  It has been found that the entire prosthetic leg when lifted off the floor moves forward which is caused by the hip flexion bias. This forward motion of the limb can result in slight flexion of the knee and can in some cases, lead to an unsafe situation for the patient if they put weight into the limb while the knee is flexed. This unsafe situation can arise if the knee joint does not have a high flexion resistance engaged to accommodate the patient’s weight. Therefore, knees which utilize a weight activated stance control are also contraindicated since the high flexion resistance will not be present. With the C-Leg, the high flexion resistance will remain engaged in the situation mentioned above and it will therefore remain stable for the patient.

Furthermore, knee joints without swing and stance extension damping are also contraindicated for use with the Helix^3D Hip Joint. Due to the strong flexion bias of the Helix^3D Hip Joint, there will be a strong extension movement passed to the knee during swing phase. This movement requires a properly set swing extension resistance to provide the exact timing for full extension of the knee during swing phase in order to ensure that the foot will be in the proper position at heel strike. In addition, since the Helix^3D Hip Joint works to encourage and support knee flexion during loading response, if the knee lacks stance extension damping, the patient will have a very uncomfortable movement of the knee back into full extension during mid-stance and terminal stance. The C-Leg has both swing and stance extension damping that can be set by the practitioner to the proper level of resistance.

When choosing components for a complete prosthesis, the practitioner must choose a knee joint that provides 1) absolute stability and reliability at heel strike, 2) stance extension damping, and 3) swing extension damping.

Otto Bock is of the opinion that only the C-Leg® meets these criteria.  Further, Otto Bock has only tested the Helix^3D Hip Joint with the C-Leg® knee joint.  Accordingly, Otto Bock requires that the Helix^3D Hip Joint may only be combined with the C-Leg® and the prosthetic feet specified for use with the C-Leg® and other components specified in the Instructions for Use (p. 23).

The Helix^3D Hip Joint’s functions are specially adapted to the characteristics of selected Otto Bock components.  Safe and proper function of the Helix^3D Hip Joint can only be guaranteed if it is used in combination with those components recommended by Otto Bock. 

Otto Bock recommends using the Helix^3D Hip Joint only under the specified conditions and for the intended purpose.  The Helix^3D Hip Joint must be fit and maintained strictly in accordance with the Instructions for Use. Use of any components with the Helix^3D Hip Joint other than those manufactured or recommended by Otto Bock will void the manufactures limited warranty and Otto Bock disclaims any liability for damage caused by the use of component combinations that are not recommended by the manufacturer.

Documents:

HELIX-Hip-Clinical-Study.pdf

HELIX-3D-Spec-Sheet-Oct-2008.pdf

HELIX-3D-Suggested-L-Codes-Oct-2008.pdf

 

Steve Valdez is the Manager of Community Relations for Hillsborough County’s Public Works Department. Highly energized, passionate, and a natural motivator, Steve expects accountability in himself and in others around him. Born and raised in Tampa Bay, Steve has watched as the Tampa Bay area transformed into a major metropolitan force. Steve was never satisfied in passively watching this city evolve. He is a major figure in local government and a huge proponent of community activism.

Mr. Valdez was born in 1955 with no arms and an extreme length discrepancy of his legs. The total absence of his arms, including shoulders, is referred to as bilateral shoulder disarticulation, or bilateral amelia. The deficiency of his right leg below the knee is referred to as fibular/tibular hemimelia. Like the evolution of his home town, Steve has been witness to prosthetic technology’s rapid development. As a kid, his prosthetic arms were heavy, with leather straps and a maze of steel cables. “At five years old, living in Tampa, they were hot and uncomfortable, so I wouldn’t want to use them”. As a teen, he saw the prosthetic designs begin to improve and, though still hot and heavy, Steve became a dedicated prosthetic user.

Today, Steve works diligently on his computer with myoelectric prosthetic arms, and uses an extension prosthesis for his right leg. His chest is wrapped in a lighter weight rigid frame and the components require only subtle body movements for operation. This reduces the stress on Steve’s body and improves his efficiency. These prosthetic arms, a far cry from the prostheses of yesterday, are equipped with DynamicArm computerized elbows and electric hands. They swing naturally and quietly, operated via subtle muscle movements in the chest. These muscle movements are recorded and transmitted through electrodes, which travel down to the elbow and hand devices.

Left to right: Bob Hoover, Westcoast Brace & Limb prosthetic technician, Steve Valdez, and Greg Bauer, CPO and President of Westcoast Brace & Limb perform an initial prosthetic fitting of Steve’s new myoelectric shoulder disarticulation prostheses. As the myoelectric components rely on subtle muscle movements for operation, an accurate and intimate fit is crucial.

Steve Valdez learns to operate his new arms, which are now capable of manipulating fine objects.

The inner components of his prostheses are protected by production gloves. These gloves are moderately realistic in their appearance. There are a limited number of colors to choose from and the details are limited to the general shape of fingers, knuckles, and major palm wrinkles. These gloves are not custom colored and do not possess high-details, such as fingerprints. But for Steve, who is more concerned with function than cosmetics, the production covers add an excellent final touch for his prosthetic arms.

It was a long, hard battle to get these computerized arms paid for by his insurance company, which originally determined that the myoelectric technology wasn’t medically necessary. Westcoast Brace & Limb, Steve’s prosthetic provider in Tampa, Florida, appealed to the insurance company and ultimately the prostheses were covered by the insurance carrier. The appeal process was a struggle, but Steve is no stranger to challenges. According to Steve, “Given the opportunity”, people can accomplish amazing things. “For many with physical limitations,” Steve asserts, “it may take them longer, but they can do the job. They can hold themselves accountable in their career and their lives. You are accountable for your own actions”. Amazing, when Steve looks back throughout his life, his congenital limb deficiencies never prevented him from accomplishing a goal.

Understanding Steve’s journey through childhood and his intense desire for accountability makes the events that unfolded on his most recent trip to Bank of America hard to comprehend.

Steve stood in front of the teller at downtown Tampa’s Bank of America and held his wife’s check in his prosthetic hand. “I just went on my lunch break really quick to cash a check for my wife”. What he did not realize was that the Bank of America imposed an etched-in-stone policy of requiring thumbprints for this type of transaction. “Obviously, you’re not going to give us a thumbprint,” the teller stated before calling the manager. “I wasn’t even taken aside”, Steve adds. The entire conversation took place in the main area of the bank, where other customers stand and wait. The bank gave Steve two options: bring his wife, which was not an option, or open an account, which would cost money. Before leaving in shock, Steve informed the bank that they were not providing him with a reasonable alternative to a policy, which could be in conflict with guidelines set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Related articles:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/thumbprint-rule-at-tampa-bank-of-america-stymies-armless-man-trying-to/1033012

http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=112587&catid=8

 Caring for Your Urethane Liner

We've received numerous questions about the care and donning of Urethane liners recently. Here are a few tips to get longer life and more comfortable wear from your liner.

Those are just a few tips to keep your skin healthy and the liner functioning properly.

   • Prosthetic feet are generally measured in centimeters.  It’s better to slightly underestimate a foot size than over estimate.  In other words, it’s sometimes better to have a prosthetic foot 1 cm short in length.  Larger prosthetic feet are more difficult to fit into shoes.

   • If not wearing a shoe sock, an amputee can use a shear foot sock (hose material) over the prosthetic foot shell.  It will make the shoe glide more easily onto the prosthesis.

   • Shoe horns are incredibly helpful

   • It is easier to put a shoe on a prosthesis when the amputee is not wearing the prosthesis. 

   • If wearing pants, an amputee can put the prosthesis in the pant leg first, then apply the shoe, then apply the prosthesis. 

   • Store workers are more helpful during less busy store hours, like week day mornings.

   • Shop online.  On www.zappos.com, a shopper can specify shoe type (sandal, dress shoe, etc...  ), color, size, and heel height.  This website has a great return policy and regularly shipping is free.

   • An amputee who loves to change shoes and heel heights may want to consider an adjustable heel prosthetic foot, which can be adjusted easily by the amputee.