Nice Blog! Good information for amputees…Thank you Advanced Prosthetics Center

I love when information is given freely. Mark at Advanced Prosthetics Center in Nebraska has a blog that addresses many of the challenges that amputees face. The neat thing about APC is they have a Physical Therapist on staff that is a part of the rehab team. Having both a prosthetist and a therapist viewpoint under one roof allows them to give a unique insight into the rehabilitation process. If you are anywhere close to Nebraska or South Dakota, I highly recommend seeing them for your prosthetic needs.

Nice Job! Sled Guard by Advanced Orthopedic Designs

If you want to see true technical artistry, take a look at these pictures. This is a sled guard made for ice hockey. Nice job guys!

Nice Job! A below the knee prosthesis shaped like a football (laces and all)

Frank Hodges at Sunstone Lab is one of the most creative technicians I have ever met.  He used the laces from a football and some artistry to create the seams.  Check out the picture of the socket. Note: It is not my socket or something I modified, nevertheless a cool piece of art!

Great Resource for Amputees: Amputeenews.com and @amputeenews on twitter

If you have not found it already.  I highly suggest going to amputeenews.com or follow them on twitter @amputeenews .  They provide a great deal of current information and inspirational stories on a well laid out website.  They also are releasing their first magazine “Amp it up” in December.

Team LIFEnabled runs for Autism

Nice job! Team LIFEnabled consisting of Dana Mazer, Jeff Miller, Kristen Reites, Rob Christner, Meredith Wright, Caitlyn Espy, Shane Keller, and Brent Wright all ran for an Autism fundraiser. Thanks for coming out and supporting a great cause!

Coyote Design quick to recall TABS for Summit Lock

This is one of the reasons why I like dealing with a company like Coyote Design. They are proactive and want to ensure that their customers are happy and patients are safe. If in doubt of the TAB you have please call them and they will replace it for free. They provided me with the TABS so I could create a video to create awareness of the recall.

Here is the letter from the owner, Matt Perkins about the recall information.

We strongly recommend an immediate evaluation of the TAB (CD101T) of the Summit Lock for locks installed since August 1st, 2011. To check for the bad part, simply bend the tab backwards so the teeth are exposed. With very little pressure the tab will snap. Visit http://www.coyotedesign.com to view a video of this procedure.

If you are at all uncertain about the quality or condition of the part in your possession please request a replacement part from Coyote Design (800) 819-5980 and one will be sent to you immediately at no cost.

The Tab (CD101T) can be found in the following product numbers.
CD101, CD102, CD101XT, CD101XTM, CD101M, CD102M

It has come to our attention that the wrong material was used to inject a small portion of our last batch of CD101T, Summit Lock Tabs. The wrong material causes the tab to be extremely brittle and can break easily. In most cases the tab is so brittle it will break during the donning of the liner, however, it is possible it could happen while the patient is wearing the prosthesis which could result in the prosthesis falling off.

Our current estimate is that less than 100 of the bad parts were mixed with the good parts. Only a portion of the one hundred estimated shipped, most of those shipped did so in the month of September 2011. We are still working to narrow down the specific quantity of the bad parts that were shipped, and when.

We are very sorry for the inconvenience, but we are hopeful that our proactive approach to the matter will help reduce further escalation of the issue.

Matt Perkins
Director of Marketing
Coyote Design

Nice Job! ….SureStep

I have previously reviewed SureStep SMO’a as a product but they are much more than that.  They have great customer service, care about patients, and I can tell they are proud of their products.  If you see pediatric patients and have not used SureStep, I would urge you to give them a try.

Special Edition Guest Post: Jeff Boonstra, CP Reviews the BiOM PowerFoot from iWalk. Is it a game changer?

We had a fantastic experience the Power Foot Biom recently. One of my very high activity patients who has a short below the knee amputation was fit with a Demo of the Biom. After initial set-up he wore the prosthesis consistently for approximately 2 hours without taking it off or adjusting. Nick (patient) stated that the 4 ½ pound foot that he held in his hand, felt extremely lightweight, and he could not tell that there was any increase in weight from his previous prosthesis. Nick wear’s what is most likely to be the lightest BK prosthesis for K4 activity we could design. A lightweight carbon socket with the full length Freedom VS foot attached directly to the distal end of his socket. I would have put money on it, that Nick would have thought the Biom was heavy and he would have rejected it for weight.

However, I was wrong. He did not mention the weight once throughout the fitting process. As you can see in the videos Nick performed some extremely high level activities during his time wearing the foot. Now keep in mind as well, Nick has tried 7 different feet over the last 2 years and has chosen the Freedom VS as his number 1 choice. He loves the energy return and the smoothness of gait it provides. After wearing the Biom he was blown away when he had to put the carbon “passive” foot back on. His gait had completely changed and it took him about 30 minutes to get back into the gait pattern he had previously had.

The Power Foot Biom provides such a natural and “powered” response to the patient that it mimics their sound side limb almost identically. We were all very amazed at the amount of ground compliance the foot had, and the ability the foot had to power Nick up hills and ramps with the powered plantar-flexion.

In the end Nick did not want to give the foot back, as he felt that is was the smoothest, most comfortable thing he had ever felt. He also noted that the foot reduced the amount of forces and pressures he felt in his socket.

I cannot speak to battery life, but iWalk is telling us roughly 4 to 5 hours of walking before needing to switch the battery. The batteries are very easy to switch out, and in my opinion for what the foot offers would not be too great of an inconvenience to the patient. Overall the Power Foot Biom impressed us greatly. As an able bodied Prosthetist, we know that it is difficult sometimes to feel what our patients are feeling, or understand their frustrations. Sometimes it is very difficult to relate to what the patient is going through, and we learn something every day that makes us get better and better. This was one of those times where you just know things are right, and that the patient is completely satisfied with the fit and function of the device, and when we can offer a device that gives the patient that feeling it is the ultimate achievement.

Jeff took some video and I edited it down. Enjoy!

If anyone is in the South Dakota area and is interested in the BiOM I would urge you to talk to Jeff Boonstra, CP.

I personally have not fit one of these but if you are in the North Carolina area I would be happy to get you more information and possibly a demo, please contact me at brent@lifenabled.com .

Inspirational Animal? ….Winter the dolphin

Check out the trailer of a true story about a dolphin named Winter.  The neat thing about this film is that not only is it an inspirational story but Kevin Carroll, CP and Vice President of Prosthetics for Hanger actually helped with the design of the new tail prosthesis for Winter.  Well done Kevin!

Nice Job! Neat Canadian Symes Prosthesis made by Sunstone Lab

Here is a few pictures of a of a Canadian Symes prosthesis (not my patient) made by Sunstone Lab. It is called a Canadian Symes prosthesis because it hinges open at the top of the “ears” of the prosthesis. (If I am wrong please correct me). The fabrication is a wonderful work of art. Nice job Frank!