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Ability fits PROPRIO FOOT from OssurJuly 2007 Ability Prosthetics & Orthotics, Inc. is pleased to announce that it is one of the first prosthetic and orthotic patient care facility in South central Pennsylvania & Northern Maryland to have a patient walking on a PROPRIO FOOT by Ossur. With the introduction of this remarkable prosthesis, Ability is now offering the most advanced prosthetic technology available in the world. This new era is one in which artificial limbs take one giant step closer to replicating the natural functioning of the lost limb. While the foot is new to the public, the Department of Defense and the VA have already been using it to benefit servicemen returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, as well as veterans of past wars. The patient, a transtibial amputee, was recently fit with the PROPRIO FOOT by Ability Prosthetics & Orthotics, Inc. in Gettysburg. For years, the patient had worn a functional, but cumbersome prosthetic device with little ankle joint movement. "You don't feel like you have a prosthetic limb on, says the patient, depending on the terrain, the ankle always positions itself correctly. I used to feel increased stress on my stump with different walking situations." As seen on CBS Evening News with Katie Couric and in the New York Times, the PROPRIO FOOT is the newest in Ossur's family of Bionic Technology products. Ossur, a global leader in advanced prosthetics, utilizes artificial intelligence and cutting-edge sensor technology, to offer unmatched benefits for transtibial amputees. The PROPRIO FOOT was given its name for its ability to detect where the foot is in space - proprioception - thus enabling it to identify slopes and stairs after the first step, and then instructing the ankle to flex appropriately. Users place their foot on a step when climbing or descending stairs and it automatically adapts its ankle position to enable the next step. This active ankle motion also allows wearers to more easily sit down or rise from a chair. The foot's anatomically correct response creates a more symmetrical and balanced gait, reducing the need both to "hip hike" and to load the entire body weight on the sound limb. "This reduces the energy that patients spend in reacting consciously to the environment," said Ian Fothergill, Ossur's clinical bionic expert and Prosthetist. "And it gives them more confidence and puts less strain on the sound limb and the hips, back and knees." Despite its advanced technology, the PROPRIO FOOT is user-friendly and is easy to set up and operate. During a simple calibration process, in 15 steps, the device evaluates and memorizes an individual's unique gait pattern. Plus, heel height can be easily adjusted at any time without compromising alignment of the prosthesis. Technology in Action Importantly, the PROPRIO FOOT replaces muscle function that was lost with the amputation. The foot enables amputees to perform activities in a normal and functional pattern by:
Developed by Ossur's forward-thinking R&D department, the foot's motion analysis capabilities are facilitated by real-time sensor technology from Dynastream Innovations of Canada, which enables the PROPRIO FOOT to detect and adapt to changes making for easier locomotion and an improved quality of life for the user. Once a foot is purchased, prosthetists receive training and obtain certification from Ossur - its developer and maker - in order to the fit the patient. The prosthetists of Ability were among the first in the country to undergo this training. "Ossur does an outstanding job training and educating the practitioner, says Jeffrey M. Brandt, President & CEO of Ability Prosthetics & Orthotics, Inc. of Gettysburg, they even interacted directly with the patient answering questions and providing guidance." For more information about the PROPRIO FOOT, please visit the Bionic Technology by Ossur website www.ossur.com/bionics, or call/visit Ability Prosthetics & Orthotics, Inc. @ 717.337.2273 or www.abilitypo.com. Ability Prosthetics & Orthotics, Inc. was founded in 2004 in Gettysburg, Pa with a mission to provide patients with the most advanced prosthetic and orthotic care and devices available in a streamlined, efficient model. Ability was recently profiled in the February & October 2006 issues of Fortune Small Business and the March 2007 issue of O&P Edge, Ability also has patient care centers in Hagerstown and Frederick, MD, as well as Exton, PA.
Jeffrey M. Brandt, CEO & President
Ossur America
Ossur Public Relations |