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As a first time attendee, ACA 2009 was impressive, educational as well as
inspirational. Everyone I met was truly committed to sharing information and
making a difference in other's lives. I saw men, women and children of all ages,
genders, and nationalities; many sporting customized sockets with ornate
designs. The variety of devices available to promote mobility and independence
was impressive. Technology has truly made a difference. I had the opportunity
to speak with countless individuals about their lives, their challenges and
daily successes. The vast majority of individuals used some type of traditional
prosthetic device between 4 to 12 hours per day. My question to them was: "What
do you use the rest of the day?" The response was about equally divided between
crutches and wheelchairs. Everyone said that they either did hop, do hop or
thought they would continue to hop for the foreseeable future. The most common
use of the "hop" was to make quick bathroom visits or get something from the
kitchen.
Many spoke of issues related to their shoulders (rotator cuffs) and wrists
from prolonged use of crutches. Most people visiting the LegSim booth were
looking for an alternative to fill the time gap after they removed their
prosthetic but were still performing activities of normal daily life: making
dinner, doing dishes, laundry or tending to children. I was asked: "Have you
ever made dinner on crutches?" "Have you ever washed dishes in a wheelchair?"
Our goal: to maintain mobility, security and independence while preserving sound
side joints.
Many individuals took the LegSim out for a "test run" around the conference
center floor. Joe Schrader, Founder and CEO of Hartford Walking Systems, was
able to video them on their maiden voyage. Individuals were able to see
themselves in action with varying degrees of success. Most needed minor
adjustments: changing the height, swapping out the seat for a different model,
changing the handlebar to offset a person's center of gravity to their sound
side. Joe was able to make these adjustments; I was able to see how they
impacted performance and personal satisfaction. We made arrangements to provide
each with a copy of their video to show to their physicians, prosthetists and
therapists. Increasing awareness to the professional community will improve
mobility, security and independence for more amputees.
I encourage those of you who have not attended an ACA conference to do so in
the future. You will not be disappointed; much to the contrary you will be
pleasantly impressed at the warm, supportive and nurturing environment at the
conference. I certainly was.
Hope to see you next year.
John A. Tata
John A. Tata, MD
Medical Director
Hartford Walking Systems
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