A Prosthodist and orthotic, defined by The World Health Organization, is a healthcare practitioner with overall responsibility of providing prosthetics and orthotics therapy, who is able to supervise and guide the clinical practice of others. The bionics companies Philadelphia are board certified and trained in a specific field of prosthetics and orthotics and have several years experience in this field. They are required to complete specialized training and obtain a certificate from an approved institute.
A prosthetist or orthotic is trained to diagnose, treat, and prevent injuries, pain and deformity of the lower extremities and hand and feet. They often perform clinical studies and diagnostic imaging, such as x-rays, MRI and CT scans. They are also trained to customize therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises for patients with varying degrees of deformity and injuries. They often perform therapeutic fitting, which is the fitting of orthotics to the patient's anatomy and level of pain. This helps to reduce discomfort and increase healing time for patients with various degrees of arthritic conditions and injuries.
Patients receive orthotic and prosthetic limbs after an injury, surgery, illness or accident that has resulted in micro-tears in the tissues of the limb or surrounding muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments. This can result in loss of function, weakness, inflammation and excessive pain. The process of fitting and preparing prosthetic limbs usually takes several months, during which the patient must wait to exercise, stand or get dressed. Sometimes, special-fit prosthetic limbs are also fitted at this time.
After assessing the severity of the condition, the doctor decides on the type of prosthesis needed, i.e., whether it will be used for therapeutic or practical purposes. The three types of prosthesis are electrical, mechanical and biological. In the first two categories, the source of power is direct, such as cord muscles or veins; in the mechanical prosthesis, the source of power is a pump that is either operated by the patient or placed around the affected area. Biological prosthetics, on the other hand, need biological material such as cells from the body; these are implanted into the patient's body through surgical procedures. Electrode tissue implants and ligament implants are common examples of the third type of prostheses. When all the possible solutions have been explored and no viable option for the patient exists, the doctor then considers the extent of the deformity, the stability of the affected limb, the patient's motivation and other factors before deciding on the prosthesis to be fitted.
In the past, all prosthetics were manually operated. However, with the advent of modern technology and sophisticated instruments, surgical prosthetic equipment are now largely controlled electronically, using either weights wheels or other devices. The use of artificial limbs dates back to the inception of the Second World War. Since then, prosthetic devices have evolved into a variety of types and have become a very important part of the medical community. Today, different types of prosthetics can be used to address many different conditions.
Prosthetics and orthotics are frequently used by NHS hospitals and private ward settings, providing a range of solutions to patients who may require exceptional support. NHS hospitals carry out a full assessment before fitting prosthetics and orthotics to ensure that the device will not only fit comfortably but will also perform to the highest standards possible. This assessment is typically carried out after an initial visit to assess the needs of the individual patient. When undergoing treatment, a pre-operative and post-operative plan for both the patient and his or her healthcare provider is agreed, followed by a supervised course of treatment, including post operative care. Get a general overview of the topic here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosthesis.
