RESPONSES: Alpha Volume Management Pads

RESPONSES: Alpha Volume Management Pads

M. Britt Spears CPO

2/20/2007

Hi list,
  Thank you all so much for the replies.
  Here are the replies for the below question:
  __________________________________________________________
  Hi list,
   
  Alpha Volume Management Pads:
   
  Has anyone used these and had sucess with their patients? Has anyone
had
problems with utilizing the pads?
   
  I'll share the results with the list.
   
  Thanks ahead,
  M. Britt Spears CPO, FAAOP
________________________________________________________________
  I have tried them with 4 patients. The success depends on the
willingness of
the patient to don them properly, clean them, and understand how they
work.
1. One patient used the pads successfully.
2. A second one did not find it helped to place it in the posterior
calf.
When she returned for a follow-up appointment she informed me she ended
up
placing it over the anterior tibia which provided relief of pressure in
the
area. She was a long BKA with considerable shrinkage.
3. The other two patients discarded the use of the pads, telling me it
was
easier to use cap socks as their limbs shrunk during the day.

Anyone with limited hand functional will have difficulty with the pads
they
have to be held in place, while trying to maneuver the liner onto the
limb.

J Mooney, CPO
_____________________________________________________________
  I have had excellent success in using these pads for scarred tissue and voids that needed filling when using off the shelf liners. As a volume management pad I have had moderate success due to patient compliance and understanding. Unfortunately, these pads shrank in size, darkened slightly and hardenned significantly with time (I assume as the mineral oil leeched out). I used them in conjuntion with silicone, not Alpha liners which may or may not have had some effect on their performance. Luckily they are cheap and I simply supplied a new set for my client every few months.
   
  W. James Little, B.Sc., C.P.(c)
  Custom Prosthetic Services
  Victoria, BC
  CANADA
  ______________________________________________________________________
    We have had some patients use them, they tend to like them, as volume is mostly lost posterior/distal and socks tend to crowd proximally.
   
  Nathan Keepers, CPO
________________________________________________________________________
  I would love to see the results. I handle a large prison base. The
liners
at times look like they have been placed in a waring blender! I wrestle
with these inmates over volume management. Really a challenge.


John Fain CPO-LPO
Medical Center Brace and Limb, Inc.
Houston, Texas
_______________________________________________________________________
      Yes, they are a very nice tool in dealing with pressure areas within a liner socket. D.Falk
  _______________________________________________________________________
  I no longer use there liners, but the volume pads worked really well.
The distal end cups also work well for those skinny little bony disstal
ends that the sleeves are too large to fit. I changed to the Ossur uniform
liners that pretty much the same size charts as OWW and EVERY patient I
switched like the Ossurs better so I switched. The bad thing about Ossurs is
they are one colored and the 6mm front,3mm rear of the sleeve is noted by a seam
up the posterior side of the sleeve and half my old patients can't see it.
A sharpy usually solves this problem. I probably gave you more info than
you asked for, I look forward to reading what others have experienced using
the volume management pads.

Craig Svader LCP
_________________________________________________________________
    Have used the Alpha pads w/ good success. Example: had a pt. w/ an extreme medial concave shape that made donning difficult. I added an oval shaped pad in this area to create a more cylindrical shape, which greatly aided in donning his prosthesis. Hope this helps-
   
  Chase Brown, CPO
  _________________________________________________________________
  Overall, the pads have proven more than satisfactory. They not only adjust an ill fitting socket due to volume reduction, l have used them in the liner where a calloused bony area has worn through the gel. A small pad to this area will add month to the life of the liner.
Ed H. Gildehaus, CPO, FAAOP, CPED
  _________________________________________________________________
    It has been my experience that they are a great asset when managing and evaluating patient changes in volume, it gives us the chance to make spot changes similar to the old glued in pads and the patients like the ability to place them in various positions themselves as they become more familiar with volume changes and their limb amputation. If used correctly they are truly portable, and can be placed proximal to the knee in the liner when not in use because they stick to the gel and will await the time when they are needed. I find they are a valuable tool in our arsenal of modern devices. Bob Grubbs, C.P.O.
  ____________________________________________________________________
     I USE THEM REGULARLY WITH GREAT RESULTS. HOWEVER, I DO NOT BUY THE PREMADE ONES. I MAKE MY OWN.
   
  Jim Young, CP FAAOP
Amputee Prosthetic Clinic
Tifton, GA.
_____________________________________________________________________
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