Knee Brace Could Generate Enough Power for Electronic Prosthetics

Just like a hybrid auto engine generates electricity while a car rolls to a stop, a new knee brace works by creating resistance when the leg stops with each step. Already the prototype can power a cell phone. Later versions may be able to power computerized and motorized prosthetic knees on the opposite leg.

Such knees are already on the market. Otto Bock's C-Leg uses a computer chip to control hydrolic fluid, thus regulating the speed and resistance on a prosthetic knee. A much heavier, bulkier knee, Ossur's Power Knee, has a motor that powers the lower leg and bluetooth chips that pick up signals from the sound leg. The problems with all of these designs are that they need to be plugged in overnight and the batteries add weight and bulk, something many older amputees cannot tolerate.

If hopes for this new power-generating brace work out, it would provide the electricity for these devices so they can become much smaller, lighter, and versatile.

Pistorius Appeals Ruling

The South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius is appealing the ruling that threatens to keep him out of this summer's Olympic games in Beijing, China. He is taking his case all the way to the top, to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, arguing that his two prosthetic legs do not give him an unfair advantage over able-boddied athletes.

House Bill 2100!

True to his word, Rep. Cooper filed the prosthetic parity bill! Click here to read House Bill No. 2100 or here for updates on its progress.

It was read for the first time on February 12. It was read for the second time on the 13th. Rep. Cooper is listed as the sponsor and Rep. Avery as the co-sponsor.

Please call your State Representative and ask him or her to vote for House Bill 2100. We will let you know when a similar bill has been introduced in the Senate and when any hearings have been scheduled.

Super Tuesday!

On behalf of the Missouri Coalition for People with Limb Loss, I want to let you all know what a successful day we had in Jefferson City yesterday, February 5, 2008. For us, it really was a Super Tuesday! We found three Representatives enthusiastic about sponsoring our bill for prosthetic parity: Rep. Dr. Wayne Cooper (left), Rep. Jim Avery, and Rep. Rick Stream.

Dr. Cooper is the Chairman of the Health Policy Committee, and he committed to giving our bill a hearing. After lunch, we were also able to get the support of Senator Griesheimer, who will sponsor our bill in the Senate and introduce it to his committee for small business and insurance.

At this point, our next step is to wait for the draft bill we gave Dr. Cooper to be drawn up with the right language. In the meantime, we need to start contacting amputees who might want to travel to Jefferson City for the hearing, whenever that is. Once we have a bill introduced and a hearing scheduled, we can begin to make phone calls and write lots and lots of letters to those Reps on the committee, hopefully from people in their district.