Summary of Nomenclature 3

Summary of Nomenclature 3

Custom Prosthetic Services Ltd

6/29/2004

Thanks for the opportunity to wax verbose on the issue of terminology. What
is happening to the words we use in our field is just one more last
exhalation from the dying English language!! Here is one man's opinion,
backed up by Webster.

If you will look in the dictionary, you will see that an artificial limb is
a prosthesis and an orthopedic brace is an orthosis. The words prosthetic
and orthotic are adjectives. You should no more say, I wear a prosthetic
than you would say, I wear an artificial. We speak of medical devices but
we don't call them medicals. It is impossible for a person to wear an
orthotic. That would be similar to saying, I wear orthopedics (shoes, as
in). If we are going to be known as professionals we should at very least
know our own language, and the specific language of our field. The
educated fools who started calling arch supports orthotics should be known
for what they are, simpletons with degrees.
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With all respect to the members over the water.
Prosthetics is the field of work but the device is a prosthesis
or a prosthetic device.
Likewise Orthotics is the field, but the device is an orthosis
or an orthotic device.
we show our ignorance of our own profession if we refer to a
prosthetic....its like refering to my car as a
blue........without finishing the sentence. A prosthetic limb a
prosthetic implant a prosthetic breast not a prosthetic.........
Hoping this clarifies the situation........PT's also misuse
these terms and we should but the record straight.
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I would consider both prosthetics and Orthotics to refer to our fields of study and practices, not just to the devices we are fabricating.

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Orthotics and Prosthetics generaly refer to the practice of the
discipline, while an orthosis and are a prosthesis are the products of the
discipline. There is a disturbing trend, particularly amongst the
uneducated, or l;azy, to call a foot orthosis an 'orthotic' but strangely,
few call an artificial replacement limb a 'prosthetic'.

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I vote for global reference to our respective disciplines. The profession of
prosthetics & orthotics.

They do not refer actual devices as in I hope I get an orthotic to fit my
shoe. In that instance, orthotic is an adjective and it should refer to a
noun. I hope I get an orthotic device to fit my shoe. Or they should
really use the term orthosis/orthoses. These are nouns.
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The terms refer to the professions. The adjective forms are orthotic and prosthetic. I know of few instances where the adjective form of a word has supplanted the noun. The only one in fact I can think of at the moment is schematic but that is still not technically correct. I do not know where, though I assume in either podiatry or physical therapy, the practice of referring to an orthotic and a prosthetic began. I once felt that it was prima facie evidence that the speaker was not knowledgeable of his or her subject. I am, however, hearing it used by more and more practitioners who, in my estimation, are well qualified and should know better.
I wrote a letter to this list several years ago regarding the common practice of referring to a prosthesis as aprosthesis when speaking with a patient-and then referring to an orthosis in the same situation as a brace. I wondered if this meant that in some way we judged orthotic patients to be less bright than prosthetic patients. While a few agreed, mostly I got flack for that. Thus, I have found that the only way I can insure that correct terminology is used, is to use it myself. I have no control over any one else. Which will win the day? I don't know. I'm sure that some would say that an orthotic is an improvement over brace. Maybe this linguistic dialectic is just a symptom of our profession's growing pains.
I've been in the field for over 30 years. If you are new to the field, and concerned enough to ask this sort of question, I say there's hope.
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