Prosthetic and Orthotic Practice

Patient-Adaptive Prosthetic and Orthotic Leg Systems

Two computer-controlled devices for leg rehabilitation are presented: 1) an external knee prosthesis for trans-femoral amputees; and 2) a force-controllable ankle-foot orthosis to assist individuals suffering from drop-foot, a gait pathology resulting from muscle weakness in ankle dorsiflexors. Here muscle-like actuators and biologically-inspired control schemes are employed to enhance patient ...

Prosthetic and orthotic resources for communicating

Edward D. Lemaire, PhD; M. Jason Highsmith, DPT, CP; Wieland Kaphingst, Dipl -Ing Communication is an essential component for high-quality healthcare interactions. While the benefits of patient-practitioner communication have been well documented [1–2], the importance of interpractitioner and clinicianresearcher communication must also be considered. The field of prosthetics and orthotics is an...

Memory plastics for prosthetic and orthotic applications.

Shrink forming prosthetic sockets from memory plastics offers several advantages over existing techniques. The manual skill requirement is reduced relative to drapeforming flat sheet while compared with the Rapidform process, the requirement for a purpose built vacuum forming machine is eliminated. Two methods for producing thermoplastic sockets from heat shrinkable preforms are described. One ...

Graduates’ perceptions of prosthetic and orthotic education and clinical practice in Tanzania and Malawi

BACKGROUND Maintaining and improving the quality of prosthetics and orthotics education at the Tanzania Training Centre for Orthopaedic Technologists is essential for the provision of appropriate prosthetics and orthotics services in African countries. OBJECTIVES To describe how Tanzanian and Malawian graduates' of the Diploma in Orthopaedic Technology perceive their education and how it coul...

Future Developments in Externally Powered Orthotic and Prosthetic Devices.