The olympic committee recently ruled that oscar Pistorius, a South african double leg amputee and world–class sprinter, would not be allowed to participate in the Summer olympics becausehis artificial legs gave him an edge over his able–bodied competition. This was the first case of its kind in athletics and provides a small window into how technology has advanced in the world of prosthetics.
Douglas Bader, a British World War II pilot made history when he became the first double amputee to fly a plane with his prosthetics. today, it would be almost a matter of routine for someone like him to return to the job they once enjoyed before the loss of limbs.
Since the american civil War, losing limbs has remained a real– ity of war. Many of our brave servicemen and women return from foreign fields after having faced insufferable losses. In the private sector, vehicle collisions, falls and any number of other unfortunate accidents face people from all walks of life. adapting to a new future without the use of all of one’s limbs is hard, regardless of how easy Pistorius, the South african runner, makes it look.
James Edward Hanger, who was an amputee in the civil War, founded Hanger Inc., in the 1860s. He created his own artificial leg because there was no other satisfactory solution, and then started to help other victims of the war. technology has changed the look, the feel and most of all, the versatility of prosthetics, especially in terms of the upper limbs. “We see many lower extremity accidents,” explains troy farnsworth cP, faaoP, vice President, Hanger Prosthetics and orthot– ics Upper Extremity Prosthetic Program “but the upper extremity, the hands and arms, are much less common.” today however, Hanger offers the first fully articulating bionic hand. “The Six–Million dollar Man is a reality. Except it costs much less than six million dollars!” exclaims farnsworth. The i–LIMB® Hand truly mimics the movement and accuracy of the human hand. “It is controlled by a unique, sensitive and intuitive system. Each digit is individually powered, and for the first time since the inception of prosthetics, the fingers can bend at each joint and to open and close around objects,” says farnsworth excitedly.
In order to protect the delicate mechanics of the i–LIMB® Hand, a protective covering must be worn. Patients have a choice — for those who fancy the robotic look (a look that can be considered ‘hip and cool’ by younger patients), there is a semi–transparent glove available that gives the i–LIMB® Hand an uncovered look. for the more conservative, or for occasions where it is called for, a life–like covering is available. Skin tones can be matched for a close fit.
Another advance with the i–LIMB® Hand is the fact that fingers can be individually removed and serviced, generally very quickly and right in the local office or clinic. “In the past, with the older prosthetics, the patient would have to part with his or her entire limb, sometimes for weeks at a time, which was severely limiting to them. Now we can almost always guarantee a quick turnaround, a short clinic visit and a satisfied client at the end of the day,” says farnsworth.
Brooke army Medical center (BaMc), the foremost base for military amputees to recover, is thrilled with the advances in prosthetics technology. del Lipe, cPo, is the director of the local Hanger office and works closely with the doctors and patients at BaMc. “The advances in prosthetics amaze my patients and me. and I always tell my patients, ‘Just wait! It can only get better.’ The explosive growth we’ve seen is only the tip of the iceberg,” explains Lipe. one thing the patients appreciate, he explains, is the compliant grip iLIMB® offers patients. “With the old style prosthetics, if someone was holding a can of soda, for example, and moved a finger, the entire can would crash to the ground. That is no longer the case. Now the fingers can move and the can remains steady.”
Hanger Inc. believes so strongly in what they do here in San antonio, they even relocated the headquarters of their National Upper Extremity Prosthetic Program. “on april 28th we closed the doors to our anaheim, california location and on april 29th opened our UEPP headquarters in San antonio,” says farnsworth. “and you have to know it was not a decision we made lightly. Much research and number–crunching went into the determination to move the headquarters.” one reason cited for the move was a lower cost of living, and therefore lower operating costs. a robust economy was another compelling reason. “San antonio has a diverse economy, it is not based on one stream of income. That is good for businesses,” explains farnsworth. “also, there is a strong medical presence here in the city; as well as several military bases. That is our target audience and niche. It just makes sense to move our headquarters to where the people are.” Hanger has already hired a local nurse case manager as well as some administrative staff. farnsworth himself is from Salt Lake city, Utah. “I am here so often though,” he confides, “generally three weeks out of four I am here, so I bought a condo.” Hanger is also looking to move the general operations into the Stone oak area in the very near future. “Most of the growth of the city is occurring on the north side, so we will move offices there as soon as possible.”
Hanger does have over 640 locations around the country, although a board–certified prosthetist or orthotist locally manages each office. The advantage to the patient is that they receive localized and personal care but their clinical teams have access to national resources.
Technology benefits people at all levels of life, but never is that more apparent than in the world of prosthetics. “full integration, and full mobility is our goal,” explains farnsworth. With the i–LIMB® Hand it looks like Hanger is achieving that goal.
