Summary of Nomenclature Responses 2
Custom Prosthetic Services Ltd
Description
Collection
Title:
Summary of Nomenclature Responses 2
Creator:
Custom Prosthetic Services Ltd
Date:
6/29/2004
Text:
Prosthetic and orthotic are not the correct word - the noun - for the products we provide, and prosthetics and 'orthotics are not the plural forms of that noun. The proper words for these devices are prosthesis and orthosis, and the plural for these devices are prostheses and orthoses.
The words prosthetic(s) and orthotics(s) are adjectives - modifiers, as in the The customer received his prosthetic device in which prosthetic explains (modifies) the noun device. The same construction would apply to the sentence the patient received medical treatment in which the word medical qualifies what kind of treatment he received. But while nobody says the patient received his medical, folks now say the customer received his prosthetic.
I work in prosthetics and orthotics has always been accepted construction to describe our work. I believe (help me out, English grammar experts!) that the words in prosthetics and orthotics are an adverb phrase which modifies the verb I work, and having two modifiers - the adjectives orthotics and prosthetics - included in such a phrase is not a problem. It could lead to confusion, though: you can also correctly say I work in limbs and braces and in this case the adverb phrase contains two plural nouns. So one could conclude incorrectly that the sentence I work in prosthetics and orthotics uses the words prosthetics and orthotics as nouns.
The use of the adjective as a noun in this context started, to the best of my knowledge, in the early '80s when podiatrists began to refer to their foot orthoses as orthotics - I've never heard anyone suggest why this occurred, whether from lack of understanding the history of the word that was coined to replace brace or to give a distinctive name to their product and make it sound fancier than arch supports, but the word now has wide acceptance. I got my prosthetic yesterday has derived from a similar incorrect construction.
And usage determines our language - if lots of people call them orthotics and you and I know that they are referring to FOs when they say that, then it more or less IS correct usage. I got my prosthetic last week sounds dreadful to me, but this construction will, too, become accepted in time; I hear it already. The French language is officially regulated by the Académie française which determining standards of acceptable grammar and vocabulary for that language - English has no such official guardian, thus usage is determined, for better or worse, by those who speak it. Now that physicians and therapists and even some O&P professional are saying Let me see your prosthetic, the game is clearly lost.
I myself will continue to use prosthetic and orthotic exclusively as adjectives, but I have no illusion that this will stem the tide of those who use these words incorrectly as nouns.
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The list has been through this before and it is pretty much a lost cause.
Orthotic and prosthetic are adjectives.
An artificial limb is not a prosthetic. It is a prosthetic device or a prosthesis.
An arch support is not an orthotic. It is a foot orthosis.
Orthotics and Prosthetics are used as nouns as in the Field of Orthotics or the Field of Prosthetics.
The Podiatrists found that most insurance policies excluded arch supports just as they exclude eye glasses. They tried to get around this by changing the name for an arch support to an orthotic. It didn't work but through common usage the language gets bent.
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I have yet to read in a dictionary that orthotic or prosthetic is a
noun. They are adjectives describing our respective fields of
expertise. I do expect that to change, however, in orthotics because of
the common usage of orthotics to describe foot orthoses.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prosthetics and Orthotics - in my opinion - refers to the profession (or the actual field of study we receive degrees in) and not to the devices. Orthoses and Prostheses are the devices we fabricate.
------------------------------------------------------------------
I feel the terms refer to the professional practice as a whole.
However, for the past 15 years or so, I have coined the term, External Limb
Prosthetics, or External Clinical Limb Prosthetics. I created these
terms following a number of questions from other professionals whether I did
total joint replacements, and other internal prosthetics.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
When I went to school (Northwestern) in 1983 I was taught and came to accept that we practice in the field or profession of Orthotics and Prosthetics. The devices that we make as part of the service we provide are called orthoses and prostheses. From outside the field, the devices are still refered to as braces, splints, supports, corsets, collars, cages, etc... I still hear that within the field of pedorthics that a foot orthosis is called an orthotic.
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the words UNSUB OANDP-L in the body of the
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If you have a problem unsubscribing,or have other
questions, send e-mail to the moderator
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OANDP-L is a forum for the discussion of topics
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Public commercial postings are forbidden. Responses to inquiries
should not be sent to the entire oandp-l list. Professional credentials
or affiliations should be used in all communications.
The words prosthetic(s) and orthotics(s) are adjectives - modifiers, as in the The customer received his prosthetic device in which prosthetic explains (modifies) the noun device. The same construction would apply to the sentence the patient received medical treatment in which the word medical qualifies what kind of treatment he received. But while nobody says the patient received his medical, folks now say the customer received his prosthetic.
I work in prosthetics and orthotics has always been accepted construction to describe our work. I believe (help me out, English grammar experts!) that the words in prosthetics and orthotics are an adverb phrase which modifies the verb I work, and having two modifiers - the adjectives orthotics and prosthetics - included in such a phrase is not a problem. It could lead to confusion, though: you can also correctly say I work in limbs and braces and in this case the adverb phrase contains two plural nouns. So one could conclude incorrectly that the sentence I work in prosthetics and orthotics uses the words prosthetics and orthotics as nouns.
The use of the adjective as a noun in this context started, to the best of my knowledge, in the early '80s when podiatrists began to refer to their foot orthoses as orthotics - I've never heard anyone suggest why this occurred, whether from lack of understanding the history of the word that was coined to replace brace or to give a distinctive name to their product and make it sound fancier than arch supports, but the word now has wide acceptance. I got my prosthetic yesterday has derived from a similar incorrect construction.
And usage determines our language - if lots of people call them orthotics and you and I know that they are referring to FOs when they say that, then it more or less IS correct usage. I got my prosthetic last week sounds dreadful to me, but this construction will, too, become accepted in time; I hear it already. The French language is officially regulated by the Académie française which determining standards of acceptable grammar and vocabulary for that language - English has no such official guardian, thus usage is determined, for better or worse, by those who speak it. Now that physicians and therapists and even some O&P professional are saying Let me see your prosthetic, the game is clearly lost.
I myself will continue to use prosthetic and orthotic exclusively as adjectives, but I have no illusion that this will stem the tide of those who use these words incorrectly as nouns.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The list has been through this before and it is pretty much a lost cause.
Orthotic and prosthetic are adjectives.
An artificial limb is not a prosthetic. It is a prosthetic device or a prosthesis.
An arch support is not an orthotic. It is a foot orthosis.
Orthotics and Prosthetics are used as nouns as in the Field of Orthotics or the Field of Prosthetics.
The Podiatrists found that most insurance policies excluded arch supports just as they exclude eye glasses. They tried to get around this by changing the name for an arch support to an orthotic. It didn't work but through common usage the language gets bent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I have yet to read in a dictionary that orthotic or prosthetic is a
noun. They are adjectives describing our respective fields of
expertise. I do expect that to change, however, in orthotics because of
the common usage of orthotics to describe foot orthoses.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prosthetics and Orthotics - in my opinion - refers to the profession (or the actual field of study we receive degrees in) and not to the devices. Orthoses and Prostheses are the devices we fabricate.
------------------------------------------------------------------
I feel the terms refer to the professional practice as a whole.
However, for the past 15 years or so, I have coined the term, External Limb
Prosthetics, or External Clinical Limb Prosthetics. I created these
terms following a number of questions from other professionals whether I did
total joint replacements, and other internal prosthetics.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
When I went to school (Northwestern) in 1983 I was taught and came to accept that we practice in the field or profession of Orthotics and Prosthetics. The devices that we make as part of the service we provide are called orthoses and prostheses. From outside the field, the devices are still refered to as braces, splints, supports, corsets, collars, cages, etc... I still hear that within the field of pedorthics that a foot orthosis is called an orthotic.
********************
To unsubscribe, send a message to: <Email Address Redacted> with
the words UNSUB OANDP-L in the body of the
message.
If you have a problem unsubscribing,or have other
questions, send e-mail to the moderator
Paul E. Prusakowski,CPO at <Email Address Redacted>
OANDP-L is a forum for the discussion of topics
related to Orthotics and Prosthetics.
Public commercial postings are forbidden. Responses to inquiries
should not be sent to the entire oandp-l list. Professional credentials
or affiliations should be used in all communications.
Citation
Custom Prosthetic Services Ltd, “Summary of Nomenclature Responses 2,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 5, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/223301.
