When someone sees a person who is wearing a prosthetic arm or leg for replacement of a limb, it may seem natural to immediately assume the injury occurred during military action. Of course, the person may have suffered a severe injury in a vehicle accident, a fall or another dangerous incident. Nevertheless, the population of injured military veterans has indeed been a primary reason for improvements in devices provided by a facility such as Capital Prosthetics and Orthotic Center Inc in Columbus OH. Significant improvements in these devices were made after World War II, when such a large group of individuals needed artificial limbs.
A meeting held in 1945 at the campus of Northwestern University in Illinois was a major move forward in this endeavor. The conference was attended by military veterans, physical therapists, engineers, and specialists in prosthetics. National Research Council centers for prosthetic design and development had their beginnings in this gathering. The input of those attending had positive ramifications for future products that would one day be available at facilities like Capital Prosthetics and Orthotic Center Inc in Columbus OH. Click Here to learn more about this particular organization.
Patients who need artificial limbs now can expect assistance from professionals with masters degrees from esteemed colleges and universities, in addition to the attention they receive from their family-practice medical doctor and orthopedic surgeon. Specialists in prosthetics and orthotics are expected to hold board certification, which they obtain by completing their education and training, and passing a rigorous exam. Some of these individuals work directly with patients while others supervise skilled workers who make the customized prosthetic and orthotic devices. They complete continuing education courses throughout their career.
The thorough education and training process gives patients peace of mind and the assurance that they will receive the best care from specialists with a substantial amount of proven expertise. Patients expect prosthetics to look as much like real limbs as possible while still offering optimum functionality. These devices also must be very comfortable or people who wear them will become discouraged. Researchers are currently working on prosthetics that are covered by an elastic skin-like material to make them look more real than ever.
