Re: Lightweight KAFO for polio
Lindborg, Karl
Description
Collection
Title:
Re: Lightweight KAFO for polio
Creator:
Lindborg, Karl
Date:
10/12/2006
Text:
Ingrid and all on this list serve,
I needed to reply to Ingrid's e-mail so that I might respectfully voice
my concern to her on an entirely different subject than the KAFO issue
she is seeking suggestions for.
My concern is...and forgive me if I am misinformed...that Ingrid as a
Certified Prosthetist, is seeing clients requiring an orthopedic devise.
I do not want to question her knowledge and skills as a professional in
our industry, but I do want to question since she is seeing clients
requiring orthopedic bracing, that she...for the integrity of our
industry...be either be in the middle of a residency for orthotic or has
completed a residency in orthotics and is in the process of getting her
orthotic certification...and if not, that she at the very least have a
CO or BOCO staff member at her facility directly supervising her,
co-treating those clients requiring an orthopedic appliance.
If not, I respectfully request that she pursue certification in
orthotics via either ABC or BOC, or at the very least get a Certified
Orthotist employed at her facility to be involved with orthopedic
related clients and who can co-treat as well as cosign her notes. In my
opinion it is a detriment to our profession that single certified
professionals piggyback on either a prosthetic or orthotic credential in
order to provide care in the other non-certified discipline.
Be fair to this client, other orthopedic clients/allied healthcare
professional/physicians/insurances and tell them that you are only
certified as a Prosthetist, if this is truly the case. Be fair to our
industry...CO's BOCO's CPO's and BOCPO's who went the distance and got
certified in the appropriate discipline they see clients requiring our
services... and pursue certification in orthotics for yourself if you
are not already in the process. It may be a hassle and time consuming to
do so but the reward will be a benefit in more ways than you will
realize. It can only help the credibility of our profession and yourself
in doing so.
Respectfully,
Karl Lindborg CPO
-----Original Message-----
From: Orthotics and Prosthetics List [mailto:<Email Address Redacted>] On
Behalf Of Ingrid Frank Prosthetics
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2006 8:51 AM
To: <Email Address Redacted>
Subject: [OANDP-L] Lightweight KAFO for polio
I have a 5'6, 115# gentleman with a history of polio at age 4 (he's now
40); sedentary during the day, moderately active on the weekends (pickup
basketball and soccer) who enjoys traveling. He's currently wearing a
two pound KAFO with polypro over titanium components, bail knee, full
knee cap, custom molded leather bootie (to control his small flaccid
foot from inverting and plantarflexing), 3 cloud crepe buildup to even
off leg length (minus a bit). He has zero muscle strength in his leg,
valgus at the knee, and very poor hip flexors and extensors. He is
slowing down and has started to have some low back pain and his
contralateral knee is starting to bother him. Physical therapy hasn't
helped much and he is looking for answers.
Recently he was shown a picture of a UTX KAFO and now he tells me he
has to have that brace. After some discussion, it turns out he really
just wants a lighter weight, lower profile orthosis and despite my
explanation of the benefits of the UTX system to him, he still insists
he needs to walk with his knee locked and won't consider ever giving up
the knee cap. He also wants a waistbelt, but no hip joint. The new
doctor he saw said he was walking around with a ball and chain and
that they could do better. I spent alot of time explaining to him that
no brace is perfect, but that I might be able to come up with something
to help reduce the weight of his device. He originally came to my
office 6 years ago with a stainless steel KAFO made in Europe that
weighed just under 6#, so he was pretty happy until recently.
What input and/or suggestions do you have? How much weight would I save
using carbon graphite uprights? Any suggestions for helping his back?
Thank you all in advance for any ideas you can share with your
post-polio experience.
Ingrid Frank, C.P.
I needed to reply to Ingrid's e-mail so that I might respectfully voice
my concern to her on an entirely different subject than the KAFO issue
she is seeking suggestions for.
My concern is...and forgive me if I am misinformed...that Ingrid as a
Certified Prosthetist, is seeing clients requiring an orthopedic devise.
I do not want to question her knowledge and skills as a professional in
our industry, but I do want to question since she is seeing clients
requiring orthopedic bracing, that she...for the integrity of our
industry...be either be in the middle of a residency for orthotic or has
completed a residency in orthotics and is in the process of getting her
orthotic certification...and if not, that she at the very least have a
CO or BOCO staff member at her facility directly supervising her,
co-treating those clients requiring an orthopedic appliance.
If not, I respectfully request that she pursue certification in
orthotics via either ABC or BOC, or at the very least get a Certified
Orthotist employed at her facility to be involved with orthopedic
related clients and who can co-treat as well as cosign her notes. In my
opinion it is a detriment to our profession that single certified
professionals piggyback on either a prosthetic or orthotic credential in
order to provide care in the other non-certified discipline.
Be fair to this client, other orthopedic clients/allied healthcare
professional/physicians/insurances and tell them that you are only
certified as a Prosthetist, if this is truly the case. Be fair to our
industry...CO's BOCO's CPO's and BOCPO's who went the distance and got
certified in the appropriate discipline they see clients requiring our
services... and pursue certification in orthotics for yourself if you
are not already in the process. It may be a hassle and time consuming to
do so but the reward will be a benefit in more ways than you will
realize. It can only help the credibility of our profession and yourself
in doing so.
Respectfully,
Karl Lindborg CPO
-----Original Message-----
From: Orthotics and Prosthetics List [mailto:<Email Address Redacted>] On
Behalf Of Ingrid Frank Prosthetics
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2006 8:51 AM
To: <Email Address Redacted>
Subject: [OANDP-L] Lightweight KAFO for polio
I have a 5'6, 115# gentleman with a history of polio at age 4 (he's now
40); sedentary during the day, moderately active on the weekends (pickup
basketball and soccer) who enjoys traveling. He's currently wearing a
two pound KAFO with polypro over titanium components, bail knee, full
knee cap, custom molded leather bootie (to control his small flaccid
foot from inverting and plantarflexing), 3 cloud crepe buildup to even
off leg length (minus a bit). He has zero muscle strength in his leg,
valgus at the knee, and very poor hip flexors and extensors. He is
slowing down and has started to have some low back pain and his
contralateral knee is starting to bother him. Physical therapy hasn't
helped much and he is looking for answers.
Recently he was shown a picture of a UTX KAFO and now he tells me he
has to have that brace. After some discussion, it turns out he really
just wants a lighter weight, lower profile orthosis and despite my
explanation of the benefits of the UTX system to him, he still insists
he needs to walk with his knee locked and won't consider ever giving up
the knee cap. He also wants a waistbelt, but no hip joint. The new
doctor he saw said he was walking around with a ball and chain and
that they could do better. I spent alot of time explaining to him that
no brace is perfect, but that I might be able to come up with something
to help reduce the weight of his device. He originally came to my
office 6 years ago with a stainless steel KAFO made in Europe that
weighed just under 6#, so he was pretty happy until recently.
What input and/or suggestions do you have? How much weight would I save
using carbon graphite uprights? Any suggestions for helping his back?
Thank you all in advance for any ideas you can share with your
post-polio experience.
Ingrid Frank, C.P.
Citation
Lindborg, Karl, “Re: Lightweight KAFO for polio,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 2, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/227449.
