Thursday, May 29, 2008

An Arm or a Leg is Not a Luxury!

Check out this power point presentation about prosthetic parity from the Missouri Coalition for People with Limb Loss. The coalition willl be raising support from now until the 2009 legislative session begins in January.

Read this doc on Scribd: An Arm or a Leg is Not a Luxury!

Friday, May 23, 2008

Pistorius on Talk of the Nation

Yesterday, while I was driving around between hospitals, physician offices, and nursing homes, I got to listen to Oscar Pistorius taking calls and being interviewed by Neil Conan on Talk of the Nation. It was really interesting to get his own perspective on how one test could show he had an unfair advantage and others could confirm he did not.


Evidently, the first test measured the volume of oxygen he used on a straight-of-way after accellerating, but there were several problems with this method. First, volume of oxygen use measures aerobic energy, whereas the 400m dash is mostly an anaerobic sprint. Second, Pistorius is at his greatest disadvantage to able-bodied sprinters when he is accellerating right out of the blocks and going around the two turns in his race.

Oscar also tells a funny story about the first time he ran with his J-shaped Cheetah feet, but I won't spoil it for you.

Molly the Amazing Amputee Pony




LSU School of Veterinary Medicine Performed Rare Surgery on Hurricane Survivor Pony
Just north of New Orleans, in the quiet community of St. Rose, Louisiana, Kaye Harris provides a haven for small ponies. She takes them to birthday parties and celebratory events throughout the south, making a business and a life for herself and her horses.

But as it did for many residents in the New Orleans area, Hurricane Katrina changed all of that. In spite of her own trials, Harris ventured out in the days following the storm and effectively turned her small farm – "Pony Paradise" – into a rescue facility for a number of animals in need of shelter.

In the months following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Kaye Harris returned home one day to find her rescued pony, Molly, being attacked by a rescued pit bull. Molly’s wounds were extensive and, for a time, Harris seriously doubted whether the 15-year-old, gray, Pony of the Americas would survive at all.

"The dog had shown no signs of aggression at all and had been with us for some time," Harris said. "I was absolutely shocked."

After contacting her local veterinarian, Dr. Allison Denny-Barca, the two immediately worked to save Molly. Her wounds were grave. Lacerations were found on her head and neck, across her abdomen, and down to the bone on her leg. Over time, all of her wounds healed except the ones on her right front leg. It became apparent that the lower part of the limb had lost its blood supply and was severely compromised.

After contacting Dr. Rustin Moore, director of the Equine Health Studies Program at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, Harris and Barca brought Molly in for evaluation and consideration as a candidate for surgery. It would be a surgery that LSU veterinarians had never performed on a horse – amputation and the fitting of a prosthetic leg.
"Amputation is not commonly done on a horse or pony," said Moore. "The main reason is that adult horses are not very good at living on three legs because the opposite leg of the one missing usually fails."

Considering the wounds the right foreleg had sustained, it was the only option remaining. On January 16, Molly’s right front leg was amputated just below the knee. Initially, LSU doctors fitted her with a cast that included a built-in temporary prosthetic. As the hours passed, Molly continually rested herself, alternating sides and agreeably undergoing each evaluation.

"She made it obvious she understood she was in trouble," said Moore. "Her relatively small size and her attitude, intelligence, and courage were the biggest factors that led us to believe that, for this type of procedure, she was as ideal a candidate as we could ever hope for. The other important factor is having a truly committed owner who is dedicated to providing the daily care required for Molly."
As LSU surgeons worked to rid Molly of infection, Barca was busy trying to locate a company that could build Molly a permanent prosthetic. She and Harris contacted Dwayne Mara, Clinical Perfusionist with Bayou Orthotic and Prosthetic Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Molly was one of his first clients when the business relocated and reopened following the storm. She was also his first equine client.

"I was overwhelmed; I really didn’t know what to think," said Mara, who had designed artificial limbs for people for eight years but had no experience with horses. After developing Molly’s first permanent prosthetic, however, he was so captivated by his experience that he is currently crafting the fourth rendition of her new artificial leg, each one continually increasing in fit and comfort.

"Every time I see her, knowing she’s walking and getting around, I just love it. I’m really interested in it and really more than I thought I would be," Mara said.

Molly walked out of surgery on a temporary cast. By the time she received the first edition of her permanent prosthesis on Valentine’s Day, she was moving about, even jogging occasionally and cantering as if she had no disability at all.

"The prosthetic device is amazing. Even without it, Molly does really well, but the prosthetic has given her a whole new life,” said Barca. “And she asks for it. She’s amazing. She will put her little limb out and come to you and let you know that she wants you to put it on. Sometimes she wants you to take it off, too."
Currently, Molly spends her days at Pony Paradise and visits Barca’s stable regularly on the Mississippi River levee for a physical check up and minor prosthetic adjustments.
"While out on the levee, she usually doesn’t try to get away from me," Barca said. "But occasionally she will drag your butt down the levee ... she’ll tow you! It can be pretty bad when you can’t catch a three-legged horse."

As Molly’s condition continues to progress, she has been able to continue her influence as an ambassador to children who have had life-altering illnesses or injuries themselves. Molly has begun to make visitations to children’s hospitals as a therapeutic friend to offer hope and comfort, and to continue to inspire those around her.

"To me, she is a symbol of New Orleans. You know, if you ask me, New Orleans had its leg chopped off, but it can survive," said Harris. "Maybe we’ll need a prosthetic for New Orleans for a while but you know what, we can survive. That is the spirit of New Orleans, and this city can come back. Molly has come back, and she’s going on to bigger and better things. She’s not back to normal; she’s gonna be better."

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Columnist Reverses His Take on Pistorius


Opinion writer for the NY Times George Vecsey has changed his mind about Olympic hopeful Oscar Pistorius. In his piece today entitled, "A Ruling on the Side of Opportunity," Vecsey writes,



"While I still have doubts about the implications of these springy lower limbs — both in magnifying speed and affecting other runners — I find myself applauding the narrow one-case judgment of the court.

"It feels better to be on the side of hope and opportunity — particularly since the three-person arbitration team backed it up, unanimously."

Friday, May 16, 2008

Double Amputee Can Run in Olympics!

The now-famous double BK amputee from South Africa, Oscar Pistorius, has won his appeal today before the world's highest court for athletics, the Court of Arbitration for Sport. This clears him to compete in Beijing this summer with able bodied sprinters in his best event, the 400m, so long as he qualifies with a time of at least 45.95 seconds.


Earlier today, Pistorius said, “I am thrilled with the panel’s findings and hope that it silences many of the crazy theories that have been circulating in recent months about my having an unfair advantage.”

“My focus throughout this appeal has been to ensure that disabled athletes be given the chance to compete and compete fairly with able-bodied athletes. I look forward to continuing my quest to qualify for the Olympics.”

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

St. Louis Prosthetists Get Accredited in iHand and Proprio Foot

ABC Certified Prosthetists from P & O Care have become the only accredited providers of the new iHand in the St. Louis Region. Dan Luitjohan and Manny Rivera attended a course April 2 in Chicago put on by iHand's manufacturer, Touch Bionics, from Scottland. The iHand is the first prosthetic hand with individually moving digits, so it can hold a penny or a business card, turn a key in a lock, munch cell phone keys, or pick up a mug of coffee. Plus, it looks and moves much more naturally. The only downside: it costs a lot and is not covered yet by Medicare or private insurance.


All of P & O Care's five prosthetists, including Jon Wilson, Greg Doerr, and Maggie Ware-Smith, have become accredited in the new Proprio Foot by the manufacturer Ossur. The Proprio offers is the first "bionic" ancle, with computerized sensors and a tiny motor that adjusts the angle of the foot to the angle of the incline on which a person is walking. Clinical Director Jon Wilson jokes, "Now, I can give you a foot that you can get up with in the middle of the night, and if you stub your toe, you can say, 'Ouch!'"

That's going a little too far, but the Proprio enables below-knee amputees to walk much more naturally up and down ramps and hills or over uneven terrain than they could with even the best traditional non-bionic foot. Unfortunately, the Proprio is also expensive and difficult so far to get third party payment for, but that may be changing soon. It's also heavier than most feet, a little over two pounds, which means it would not be the best option for a lower-activity level individual.

Article from bizjournals.com: SSM's Ryan wins Joseph M. Juran Medal from the American Society for Quality

Hello from bizjournals.com! BMcLellan@PandOCare.com (BMcLellan@PandOCare.com) thought you might like the following article from the St. Louis Business Journal:

SSM's Ryan wins Joseph M. Juran Medal from the American Society for Quality

Published: May 9, 2008aa

Sister Mary Jean Ryan resident and CEO of SSM Health Care, was awarded the Joseph M. Juran Medal for distinguished performance in quality leadership from the American Society for Quality.

To continue reading, go to: http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2008/05/05/daily77.html?b=1210305600^1633884&surround=etf


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