PROGRAM SUCCESS – SEPTEMBER 2010
PAGE 7
“This prosthesis (artificial limb) doesn’t fit right!”
“This prosthesis is too tight!”
“This prosthesis is too loose, my foot keeps turning!”
“This prosthesis hurts when I wear it!”
“This prosthesis doesn’t work for me!”
“I will just stay in my wheelchair!”
“This prosthesis doesn’t look like my real arm/leg!”
“My joints hurt when I walk!”
Have you, a family member, or a friend ever made any of the previous
statements? If the answer is yes, then allow me to talk about why you may have
heard or made those statements. Information discussed in this article will
encompass the following: 1. Ideal candidates for prosthetics 2. Proper fit of the
prosthesis 3. Lack of usage 4. Proper follow-up 5. Choice
Reginald Mays
President / CEO
First, let’s discuss the ideal candidate for prosthetic fitting. The most obvious
factor is the individual has to be missing a limb (had an amputation). Contrary
to what you may believe, every patient that is missing one or multiple limbs is
not a candidate. Potential patients should be evaluated by a Board Certified
Prosthetist for certainty. The prosthetist will evaluate the patient’s strength,
range of motion (ROM), motivation, family or facility support, and usage safety.
There are some patients who require an extensive amount of physical therapy
prior to starting the prosthetic fitting process. (Physical therapy is a health
profession that assesses and provides treatment to individuals to develop,
maintain and restore maximum movement and function throughout life.)
Adopting the team concept of healthcare, the ultimate goal is the best possible
outcome for the patient. There are some patients who are continuously on the
go. There are some patients who use their prosthesis to transfer from the bed to
a wheelchair. Other patients may feel they need an artificial limb for cosmetic
purposes.
Next, let’s discuss proper fit. An optimal fitting prosthesis is very important.
Patients’ residuum’s often change due to various reasons. A few common
reasons are diet or types of foods eaten, activity level, the body’s ability to
dissipate fluid, and weight loss/gain. Volume management is often not
understood by patients. For example, a patient that is a transtibial amputee (lost
leg below the knee) could wake up in the morning and don their prosthesis and
everything feels great. Half way through the day, the patient starts to feel some
discomfort in their residual limb. It feels like something is pushing into the
bottom of their leg. Most likely, the patient’s volume has decreased due to their
activity throughout the day.
The solution to the problem is to add a prosthetic sock to your residual limb
and re-don the prosthesis. This is a major problem with a simple solution. A
patient could also cause themselves discomfort by using a prosthesis that is too
small. Prostheses are custom designed for every individual patient. In the design
see Prosthetics page 10
United Prosthetics & Orthotics
“Where We Treat You Like Family”
9759 San Jose Blvd, Suite 2
Jacksonville, Florida 32257
(904) 638-9686
www.unitepando.com