Our Society!!!

ReWalk Orthosis.

  Exoskeleton orthosis which have changed life of  Spinal Cord Injury patients, lets say from T3-T7, very interesting technology.     Good work Dr Amit Goffer.!!!!!!!!!

Invented by the Israeli entrepreneur, Dr. Amit Goffer, who became a quadriplegic in 1998, and manufactured by ARGO Medical Technologies, ReWalk™ is an exoskeleton mobility solution which provides individuals with user-initiated mobility through the integration of a light wearable brace support suit, a computer-based control system and motion sensors.

By a shift in the wearer’s balance, the sensors recognise a change in position and trigger the desired knee or hip movement to take a step forward and make ‘walking’ relatively easy.

The ReWalk™ enables individuals with lower-limb disabilities such as Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) and Spina Bifida to stand, ascend and descend stairs and walk indoors and outdoors on mown grass, ramps and up kerbs. Following specialist training, this can be done independently and on a daily basis.

Source:http//www.cyclonemobility.com/rewalk

Picking out tomatoes with the i-limb ultra, and grandma

Just imagine, and take a look !

In Prosthetics and Orthotics we do consider the following during fabrication and fitting,
-Biomechanical Functional
-Durability
-Stability
-and Cosmetic

BUT lets say your clients is an elephantiasis case who need an AFO.Definately one of the above named will miss.
 OBSERVE THE IMAGE AND HAVE YOUR SAY!!!!

Dobbs Quick Release Bar

Dobbs Bar for Clubfoot

   Just to say , I like this technics.

Learn about Erb's Palsy.

Erb's Palsy or Brachial Plexus Birth Palsy is a form of obstetric brachial plexus injury, which is a complication of pregnancy and delivery.  A network of spinal nerves that transmit signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand is called the brachial plexus.  Brachial refers to the arm, and plexus refers to a network of nerves.  Paralysis or weakness of the muscles of the arm that is caused by damage to the brachial plexus is called Erb’s palsy.  The paralysis can affect any or all of the muscles that control the shoulders, hands, or the arms.  Erb-Duchenne palsy affects muscles around the shoulder and elbow and causes paralysis of the upper brachial plexus. Klumpke’s palsy affects muscles of the forearm and hand and causes paralysis of the lower brachial plexus.  The severity and ultimate diagnosis of Erb’s palsy is dependent on the location and severity of the injury.

Source: www.erb'spalsy.org

How To Use Crutches Properly - The Nebraska Medical Center

Spinal cord injury and its scales.

What is Spinal Cord Injury?

  
A spinal cord injury usually begins with a sudden, traumatic blow to the spine that fractures or dislocates vertebrae. The damage begins at the moment of injury when displaced bone fragments, disc material, or ligaments bruise or tear into spinal cord tissue.

 Most injuries to the spinal cord don't completely sever it. Instead, an injury is more likely to cause fractures and compression of the vertebrae, which then crush and destroy axons -- extensions of nerve cells that carry signals up and down the spinal cord between the brain and the rest of the body. 

An injury to the spinal cord can damage a few, many, or almost all of these axons. Some injuries will allow almost complete recovery. Others will result in complete paralysis.

Is there any treatment?

Improved emergency care for people with spinal cord injuries and aggressive treatment and rehabilitation can minimize damage to the nervous system and even restore limited abilities.  Respiratory complications are often an indication of the severity of spinal cord injury.   

About one-third of those with injury to the neck area will need help with breathing and require respiratory support. The steroid drug methylprednisolone appears to reduce the damage to nerve cells if it is given within the first 8 hours after injury. 

Rehabilitation programs combine physical therapies with skill-building activities and counseling to provide social and emotional support. Electrical simulation of nerves by neural prosthetic devices may restore specific functions, including bladder, breathing, cough, and arm or leg movements, though eligibility for use fo these devices depends on the level and type of the spinal cord injury.

How ever remember that through rehabilitation activities,orthoses can be needed to avoid contracture,eg at wrist level, wrist hand orthosis and cock up splints can be needed,at ankle level, ankle foot orthosis ,etc.

What is the prognosis?

Spinal cord injuries are classified as either complete or incomplete.  An incomplete injury means that the ability of the spinal cord to convey messages to or from the brain is not completely lost. People with incomplete injuries retain some motor or sensory function below the injury.

 A complete injury is indicated by a total lack of sensory and motor function below the level of injury.  People who survive a spinal cord injury will most likely have medical complications such as chronic pain and bladder and bowel dysfunction, along with an increased susceptibility to respiratory and heart problems. Successful recovery depends upon how well these chronic conditions are handled day to day.

     Surgery to relieve compression of the spinal tissue by surrounding bones broken or dislocated by the injury is often necessary, through timing of such surgery may vary widely.  A recent prospective multicenter trial called STASCIS is exploring whether performing decompression surgery early (less than 24 hours following injury) can improve outcomes for patients with bone fragments or other tissues pressing on the spinal cord.

Most of information from:    http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sci/sci.htm

 Spinal cord injury CLASSIFICATIONS OR GRADING SCALE.

    

  (1)   ASIA impairments scale

      (2) Frankel Grading system.

 Just learn about ASIA impairments scale:

ASIA   ,Stands for American Spinal Injury Association

A=Complete:  No motor or sensory function is preserved in the sacral segments S4-S5.

B=Incomplete:   Sensory but not motor function is preserved below the neurological  level and includes the sacral segments S4-S5.

C=Incomplete:    Motor function is preserved below the neurological level, and more than half of the key muscles below the neurological  level have a muscles  grade less than 3.

D=Incomplete:   Motor function is preserved below the neurological level, and at least half of key muscles below the neurological level have a muscle grade of 3 or more.

E=Normal:           Motor and sensory function are normal  

My new leg! part 2

               Very interesting fitting,JUST WATCH THE VIDEO!

Advancements in Prosthetics - Inside The Socket - Part 02

Advancements in Prosthetics - Inside The Socket - Part 01

How a Prosthetic Leg Works

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013!

                           
                            

Modifying: AFO Part 2

Modifying: AFO Part 1

Prosthetics & Orthotics Awareness : Biomedical Engineering

Recognise a heart attack.

Unhealthy lifestyles combined with a ton of stress are making more and more people vulnerable to heart attacks. Here’s a low-down on signs and symptoms of a heart attack.

Often people expect a heart attack to be dramatic like it is in the movies. But in reality — most often — that is not the case. This article thus spells out the signs and symptoms of a heart attack.

What happens during a heart attack?

During a heart attack, the blood flow to the heart muscle is either reduced or completely stops. This typically happens because of a blood clot that is blocking an artery.
When the heart muscle does not get oxygen-rich blood, it ceases to work.

Some common heart attack symptoms:

·         A heart attack often causes chest pain.

·         There is a feeling of fullness or a clasping pain in the centre of the chest. Most victims describe the pain as akin to an elephant standing on the chest (extreme pain). It usually lasts for about 15 minutes.

·         One also experiences shooting pain in the shoulders, neck, arm, back and sometimes even the teeth and jaw.

·         One finds increasing episodes of chest pain.

·         Prolonged pain in the upper abdomen.

·         Shortness of breath.

·         The victim might experience heavy sweating.

·         Since the heart’s pumping action is severely impaired during a severe heart attack, the victim might lose his/her consciousness.

·         Nausea and vomiting

·         In rare cases, as in patients who are diabetic, the heart attack may not be very painful, and sometimes can even be entirely painless.

    Other heart attack symptoms

The elderly, diabetics, people on steroids as well as women are less likely to have obvious symptoms like severe chest pain (as often seen in men). These are some symptoms they are likely to have:

·         Pain in the abdomen

·         Heart burn

·         Sweaty skin

·         Unusual tiredness

·         Dizziness or light-headedness

·         Nausea

·         Tightness or pain in the neck, shoulder or upper back

Heart attack symptoms are not the same for all… 

Not everyone who has a heart attack has the same symptoms. Many a time, we also tend to ignore a heart attack thinking it might be mere abdominal discomfort due to gas pains or indigestion. If you have more than a few symptoms listed above, then you are likely to be having an attack. Get emergency help immediately.

What to do in case of a heart attack?

·         Rush to a hospital: If you recognise that you or someone around is having a heart attack, get immediate medical help.

·         Give Disprin (Asprin): As soon as you recognise it is an attack, crush a disprin, dissolve it in water and make the person drink it.

·         Emergency numbers: Every office and home must keep a list of emergency numbers like that of an ambulance service, hospital.

 A heart attack is different from a cardiac arrest

Do not confuse a heart attack with cardiac arrest. In the case of a cardiac arrest, the heart suddenly stops. It occurs due to an electrical disturbance that obstructs the heart’s pumping function, which results in stopping blood flow to the rest of the body.

Source:   http;www.mdhil.com

BS Prosthetics & Orthotics...What is it all about_.mp4