New Trends in Prosthetics
Charles Barocas
Description
Collection
Title:
New Trends in Prosthetics
Creator:
Charles Barocas
Date:
12/21/2005
Text:
For years Orthotists have been losing patients to non-orthotists due to the
increasing simplicity of provding and fitting patients with braces. The new
Bellacure (www.bellacure.com) OA unloader brace represents that trend.
Takes about 90 seconds to measure fit and adjust that brace. In the future,
Prosthetists will go through the same trend.
I recently had a conversation with a Phd type in bio-engineering. We talked
about the research going on in implanting a support rod in a long bone and
passing through the skin to connect to a prosthetic leg. This would
eliminate the need for a socket and the problem of the soft tissue stump
supporting the weight instead of the bone.
Just as with current external fixation for fractures, their is the inherent
problem of infection. But he seems to think they have it licked. The
researchers looked at a model in nature. Animals that lose and then regrow
their horns don't suffer from infection. What mechanism in nature prevents
infection as the antlers grow through the skin? It seems they found it.
The next few years should be interesting as Orthopedic surgeons and implant
companies develop this technique. The pie that represents the total spent
on providing that leg will have more slices dedicated to surgery. I can
only surmise that many surgeons may choose to provide the total service
in-house just as they do now with orthotics, xray, MRI and physical therapy.
Implant manufacturers may choose to go into the prosthetic business and
design their implants so only their tested attachments can be used with
their implants. I forsee a a multi-billion $ implant manufacturer like
Biomet or Zimmer buying a prosthetic manufacturer.
I just mailed in my Florida Orthotist license renewal as retired status.
I start at Walmart on Monday. The carts are to the right, pantyhose is
straight ahead.
Charles Barocas, CO (R) (retired)
increasing simplicity of provding and fitting patients with braces. The new
Bellacure (www.bellacure.com) OA unloader brace represents that trend.
Takes about 90 seconds to measure fit and adjust that brace. In the future,
Prosthetists will go through the same trend.
I recently had a conversation with a Phd type in bio-engineering. We talked
about the research going on in implanting a support rod in a long bone and
passing through the skin to connect to a prosthetic leg. This would
eliminate the need for a socket and the problem of the soft tissue stump
supporting the weight instead of the bone.
Just as with current external fixation for fractures, their is the inherent
problem of infection. But he seems to think they have it licked. The
researchers looked at a model in nature. Animals that lose and then regrow
their horns don't suffer from infection. What mechanism in nature prevents
infection as the antlers grow through the skin? It seems they found it.
The next few years should be interesting as Orthopedic surgeons and implant
companies develop this technique. The pie that represents the total spent
on providing that leg will have more slices dedicated to surgery. I can
only surmise that many surgeons may choose to provide the total service
in-house just as they do now with orthotics, xray, MRI and physical therapy.
Implant manufacturers may choose to go into the prosthetic business and
design their implants so only their tested attachments can be used with
their implants. I forsee a a multi-billion $ implant manufacturer like
Biomet or Zimmer buying a prosthetic manufacturer.
I just mailed in my Florida Orthotist license renewal as retired status.
I start at Walmart on Monday. The carts are to the right, pantyhose is
straight ahead.
Charles Barocas, CO (R) (retired)
Citation
Charles Barocas, “New Trends in Prosthetics,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 5, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/225865.
