New Technology

Dynamic Bracing Solutions™

A new treatment option, called DynamicBracingSolutions™, can improve balance, security and efficiency to improve mobility. Most importantly, DBS helps prevent further damage to other parts of their body by limiting or eliminating over compensation and can aid in correcting some deformities. Most patients also report the reduction of pain, giving them the ability to improve their daily routines.

The new orthotic support system offers dynamic balance by supporting skeletal segments in all three dimensions. The system restores dynamic functions to improve the patient's ability to walk more efficiently. Read more… www.dynamicbracingsolutions.net

ToeOFF®

ToeOFF® is a new generation AFO, covered by several patents. The design absorbs energy at heel strike and returns it at toe-off, restoring a more normal and dynamic gait. The benefits are the ability to walk further... with greater comfort... and with less impairment of gait pattern, if not normality, ToeOFF® is used in conventional shoes and is easy to put on and take off - just two straps attach it to the leg.

C-Leg® Prosthetic Knee/Shin

Since it was introduced in the U.S. in 1999, more than 30,000 people worldwide have taken advantage of the unparalleled stability offered by the C-Leg® microprocessor-controlled knee—making this technology the Standard of Care. With the C-Leg® you can speed up, slow down, take on hills and go down stairs step‑over‑step—all with a secure, more natural gait.

Stance Control Knee Ankle Foot Orthoses

A traditional KAFO can lock the knee in full extension, which provides stability but also causes patients to ambulate with a gait deviation that can lead to overuse injuries due to compensatory measures taken by the patient to ambulate. This in turn requires more energy to get from point A to point B.

A stance control orthosis (SCO) allows the knee to bend during the swing phase of the gait cycle and blocks knee flexion for stability during the stance phase. By allowing the knee to bend during swing phase, SCOs allow a more normal gait, which may reduce secondary complications from gait compensations, and allow the patient to walk with less effort.

E-MAG

Easy to calibrate, even easier for patients to use, the integrated, low-profile joint of the E-MAG Active KAFO provides the best in electronic stance control to help the patient live a more active lifestyle. The stance control function will remain locked during weight bearing, then unlocks for swing phase. It simplifies gait training and allows for varied cadence to help meet the patient’s specific needs. Calibrating the E-MAG Active is simple, and it is just as simple to recalibrate if the patient’s needs should change over time.

With no linkage or sensors below the knee, the E-MAG Active is the perfect solution for those patients who have limited ankle function or who would normally wear a locked KAFO—and it even accommodates a joint contracture of up to 15°.

Sensor Walk™ KAFO

Developed by Otto Bock in conjunction with Mayo Clinic, the Sensor Walk delivers superb stance control in a heavy-duty custom KAFO. Unique sensors in the footplate know when the patient is in the late stance phase and trigger the knee joint to unlock. Because an extension moment is not required to unlock the joint, the Sensor Walk helps provide the clinical benefits of a more natural gait. The Sensor Walk's robust design can handle patients who weigh up to 300 lbs (136 kg) and can accommodate a 15° knee flexion contracture so you can fit patients who have few options for sophisticated stance control! http://www.ottobockus.com for more information

Compas™ Computer Aided Alignment

The Compas™ technology is based on direct measurement of the socket reactions, or torques, using a precision instrument attached near the base of the socket. Our research has measured exactly how the socket reactions change with alignment alterations. The results demonstrate that while forces at the ground (ground reaction forces) may be of interest, it is the torques at the socket (socket reactions) that directly affect comfort and stability within the prosthesis. Optimal alignment enhances both of these critical outcome variables. We have assembled a database of over seven million data points collected from numerous amputees who each walked with at least 26 precisely controlled alignment settings. That’s equal to over nine miles of continuous walking. We then created an advanced computer model that predicts whether and how a prosthesis is misaligned, by measuring the socket reaction forces while walking.

Compas™ hardware and software work together automatically so that prosthetists can easily and intuitively harness the power of our computerized alignment interpretation. The system is designed for everyday use by clinical prosthetists without need for supporting engineers, specialized staff, or specific laboratory environments.

Harmony® Vacuum Suspension

The Harmony® system effectively reduces the amount of air between the socket and the liner. This is achieved through the use of a pump and an exhaust valve. The system, which is activated at every step when using the mechanical pump or by a sensor with the electronic version, regulates the required negative pressure within a defined range. A damping and torsion function is also integrated into the mechanical pump. The Harmony® system controls the volume of the residual limb and simultaneously improves blood circulation. High adhesion improves proprioception. The prosthesis wearer feels what is happening under his or her prosthetic foot. This increases safety in everyday life. The Harmony® system is used in conjunction with a polyurethane liner. A standard or custom liner is used depending on the residual limb. The negative pressure system is sealed on the outside by means of a gel-coated sealing sleeve.
http://www.ottobockus.com for more information