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Teenager Hacks Off His Leg to Escape Earthquake Rubble

jtehmom — 2009-10-12T09:35:23-04:00

AN 18-year-old hacked off his own leg using a blunt hoe and then a saw after he was trapped in rubble following an earthquake.

Construction worker Ramlan, from Padang, Indonesia, had been working on the seventh floor of a new building when the tremors hit the island of Sumatra on September 30.

He was trapped by a concrete girder which crushed his right leg up to the shin as he tried to flee with his fellow workers.

Rick Riley, CP

jtehmom — 2009-10-12T09:29:41-04:00

Xavian Helley, right, of Sparks consults Thursday with Rick Riley of Prosthetic Consulting Technologies about getting his prosthetic limbs. Looking on is PCT worker Chris Beattie. Photo by David B. Parker.

Read the whole story.

Eli wears foot orthotics

jtehmom — 2009-10-12T09:27:24-04:00

What did Eli Manning do to get his heel ready for the game?

Manning said he wore orthotics and had some extra tape to support his foot. He even had tape around the outside of his cleats; players call it wearing "spats."

"Nothing too heavy," Manning said of the tape job. "It wasn't anything major, just a little extra support." He wore high-top cleats, but that's not unusual for him.

Was there any pharmaceutical support?

No. Manning said he did not have any shots of cortisone, painkillers or anti-inflammatories in his foot.

How did the heel feel?

"It felt great during the game," Manning said. "I felt that I could do everything, run the offense. I didn't tell coach Gilbride or Coughlin, 'Hey, don't run this' or 'don't do that.' I felt like I could do everything we had to do."

So after he left the game, did Manning tune out?

Heck, no. "I actually called a timeout," Manning said. "I don't know if that's legal or not, but I called a timeout on the sideline in the two-minute drill. I saw the clock running down, and I yelled it out."

That saved a delay-of-game penalty. "[The official] might have thought I was the head coach," Manning said.

Will he practice this week?

"Hopefully, it feels great tomorrow morning," he said after the game. "I don't have any doubt that it won't, so hopefully, I will be able to get back to practice all next week and work on getting better."

Source

Lucky's Legs

jtehmom — 2009-09-17T07:13:07-04:00

Petaluma caregiver Sally Pyne and her box turtle Lucky were to board a plane for New York City Wednesday for an appearance on NBC's “Today” show — part of a whirlwind of media coverage she's received since her pet first ventured out on newfangled legs last month.

Lucky, his front extremities chewed off by what Pyne believes was a raccoon, has been featured far and wide in newspapers and on the Internet since a Rohnert Park veterinarian outfitted his shell with furniture coasters that allow him to scoot around as if he's still a four-legged critter.

More than 66,000 people have viewed a YouTube video showing him with female partner, Lovey, in their Petaluma home.

The Los Angeles Times, Fox News, the British Broadcasting Corporation and several British newspapers are among the many more traditional media outlets in which Lucky and his owner have made news.

A British reporter told Pyne, “They're mad for animal stories in England,” she said by phone Wednesday while en route to the airport.

The pair is slated for “Today” on Thursday morning, and will be joined by Al Wolf of Sonoma County Reptile Rescue in Sebastopol, Pyne said.

It was Wolf who gave Lucky to Pyne in the first place when the box turtle's former owners could no longer keep him, so “this is perfect,” she said Wednesday.

Lucky, housed in a small cat crate with food and a warm blanket, will ride with them in the aircraft cabin, she said. They're staying at the famed Essex hotel before their return flight Thursday afternoon.

Pyne wasn't sure who will interview her, but figures this news story is too “soft” for the likes of Matt Lauer or even Meredith Vieira.

“It's really crazy,” Pyne said. “I never ever thought it would grow into this. I'm fine with it. It's just a little silly.”

Pyne said her dream is not to go on television, but to somehow turn her five minutes of fame into something positive for animals - say a non-profit fund to help pet owners pay for emergency medical care when they can't afford it.

Her idea is still unformed, but in the meantime she's trying to raise donations to defray her own $900 bill for Lucky's care — a daunting amount for someone on a home caregiver's pay.

She's set up a “Lucky Fund” at the Bank of Marin on Baywood Drive in Petaluma.

Members of Congress Receive Legislative Awards From National Amputee Organizations

jtehmom — 2009-09-17T06:59:46-04:00

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The Amputee Coalition of America and the
American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association today announced that Senators Tom
Harkin and Olympia J. Snowe and Representatives Robert E. Andrews, George
Miller, and Lincoln Diaz-Balart are recipients of their joint organizations'
2009 Legislative Appreciation Awards.

The awards are being presented today at a mini-Hill Day event, with more than
40 amputees and advocates from around the country also visiting Capitol Hill
to make specific recommendations to Congress for the inclusion of prosthetic
arms and legs in the national healthcare reform legislation.

"For their commitment, dedication and service to ensuring quality healthcare
for amputees and their effort to make certain that fair insurance coverage is
available for prosthetic arms and legs, we are proud to present these awards
as a token of our appreciation to these members of Congress," said Kendra
Calhoun, Amputee Coalition president and CEO. Calhoun emphasized that
healthcare for amputees needs fair consideration in any healthcare reform
proposal. "Amputees are no longer a hidden part of our society, and they need
to be heard in the healthcare debate. This is the message they will carry to
Capitol Hill today."

The Amputee Coalition and other disability groups have heralded the inclusion
in the healthcare reform bills of guaranteed issue and renewal of coverage in
the individual and small group markets, the prohibition of pre-existing health
condition exclusions, and the end of annual and lifetime insurance caps, with
a limit on out-of-pocket spending. According to Calhoun, amputees also want a
guarantee that they will have fair access to arms and legs.

In May, Rep. Robert E. Andrews introduced the "Prosthetic and Custom Orthotic
Parity Act of 2009" (H.R. 2575), which would require employer-paid health
plans to provide coverage for prosthetic and custom-fabricated orthotic
devices on par with the coverage offered for other medical and surgical
services. Sens. Harkin and Snowe co-sponsored a similar prosthetic parity bill
in the Senate in 2008 and are working on introducing a new one this year.
Reps. Miller and Diaz-Balart also signed onto the House bill as lead sponsors.

"At a time when healthcare costs are rising by about 7 percent annually, the
financial hardship on those in need of prosthetic devices is devastating,"
said Rep. Andrews. "Yet, by expanding coverage for prosthetic devices so that
it is on par with other types of essential care, not only will amputees
receive necessary treatment and experience better quality of life, but the
healthcare industry as a whole will save money. Since prosthetics often
dramatically decrease secondary health problems for those in need, the
benefits of this coverage far outweigh the costs in the long run."

Though 17 states have passed similar prosthetic parity laws, amputee advocates
still say that there needs to be a national law.

"These state laws have helped many people," said Tom Fise, American Orthotic
and Prosthetic Association executive director, "but they are not enough.
Without a federal law, there will always be amputees who fall through the
cracks."

The awards ceremony for House members will be held at 9 a.m. today in the
Rayburn House Office Building (Room B-318). The ceremony for Senate members
will be held at noon in the Capitol Visitor Center (Room SVC 214).

About the Amputee Coalition of America
The Amputee Coalition is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is
"to reach out to and empower people affected by limb loss to achieve their
full potential through education, support and advocacy, and to promote limb
loss prevention." The organization is based in Knoxville, Tennessee, and has
an advocacy staff in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit the
Amputee Coalition's prosthetic parity Web page at
www.armsandlegsarenotaluxury.com or call 888/267-5669.

About the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA)
AOPA, based in Alexandria, Virginia, is the largest nonprofit organization
dedicated to helping orthotic and prosthetic businesses and professionals
navigate the multitude of issues surrounding the delivery of quality patient
care. This year, the association celebrates the 92nd anniversary of its
founding in 1917, when the needs of returning veterans in the aftermath of
World War I required a national organization to address the educational and
research needs of the industry. For more information, visit the AOPA Web site
at www.aopanet.org or call 571/431-0876.

SOURCE The American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association

Andy Says No!

jtehmom — 2009-09-17T06:58:29-04:00

Companies that make medical devices are concerned that they are going to have to carry a heavy tax burden under a health care reform plan proposed by Senator Max Baucus. Baucus is the Senate Finance Committee Chairman.

His plan would place fees on medical device manufacturers to help pay for health care reform.

Andy Besser is the manager of a prosthetics and orthotics company in Davenport. Many of the components used to make artificial arms and legs would be taxed under the Baucus plan. Joints for knee braces and prosthetic feet that the company orders from other manufacturers would be included in that tax.

That added cost will be passed on to his company and in turn to the consumer. He says as expenses go up, it might be difficult for some medical device companies to keep people on board as well as hire and expand businesses. Besser says it's going to become just that much tougher.

Source

Mashantucket awards $2.9m in personal injury suit

jtehmom — 2009-09-08T22:13:12-04:00

LEDYARD, Conn. – A Massachusetts man who lost his leg in an accident at Foxwoods Resort Casino in 2006 received a $2.9 million award in what may be the largest personal injury claim ever negotiated in a tribal court.

Richard Murch, 69, of Tewksbury, Mass., and the Mashantucket Pequot Gaming Enterprise agreed to settle the claim minutes before a trial was to begin in Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Court in early August.

MPGE is the business arm of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, which owns Foxwoods Resort Casino in southeastern Connecticut. Tribal officials said it was their largest settlement.

New London attorney M. John Strafaci, who represented Murch, said it may be the largest settlement in any tribal court.

Strafaci said his client was happy with the settlement.

Source

“Once the settlement was announced to Mr. Murch, once we told him we had reached a number that would provide him and his family with future security, he had a big smile on his face and his family said it was the first time they’d seen him smile like that since the accident. It was just a giant weight taken off his shoulders, knowing he could pay his bills and the family could have some security,” Strafaci said.

'Neuroprosthetics 2009: Today's Progress, Tomorrow's Promise' will help advance the development of the next-generation in artificial limbs that more closely replicate the function of natural limbs

jtehmom — 2009-09-08T21:44:54-04:00

WORCESTER, Mass. On September 16, leaders in research and development of implantable limb neuroprosthetics will gather at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) to discuss the state of the field and to advance collaborations that will push next-generation artificial limbs and prosthetic devices closer to clinical application.

Organized by the Center for Neuroprosthetics in WPI's Bioengineering Institute (BEI), with grant support from the

John Adams

Innovation Institute, "Neuroprosthetics 2009: Today's Progress, Tomorrow's Promise" is the only national conference this year focused on the scientific and engineering problems that must be solved to enable a new generation of artificial limbs that more closely replicate the function of natural limbs.

"There is a great human need for better, more functional prosthetic devices, especially for our soldiers who have been severely injured in Iraq and Afghanistan," says W. Grant McGimpsey, professor of chemistry and biochemistry and director of the BEI, who organized the event. "We are very pleased to sponsor and host this symposium, so that many of the best minds in this field can come together, interact and discuss how to attack the very complicated problems that need to be solved if we are to realize the progress that so many people hope for and would benefit from."

More than 150 scientists, engineers, clinicians and other professionals from around the country who work in various facets of the prosthetics and neuroprosthetics fields are expected to attend.

Plenary speakers include:

Lt. Colonel Paul Pasquina, M.D., chief of the Integrated Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation and medical director of the Amputee Program, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C.
Buddy Ratner, PhD, director of University of Washington Engineered Biomaterials and professor of bioengineering and chemical engineering at the university
Todd Kuiken, MD, PhD, director of the Neural Engineering Center for Artificial Limbs, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Northwestern University
John E. Olerud, MD, George Odland Professor and head of the Division of Dermatology, University of Washington
Kent N. Bachus, PhD, research associate professor and director of the Harold K. Dunn Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, University of Utah
James Peter Beck, MD, adjunct professor, Department of Orthopaedics, Bone and Joint Research Lab, University of Utah
Christopher Allan, MD, associate professor, Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington School of Medicine
George Pins, PhD, associate professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The day-long symposium will be held in WPI's Campus Center in Worcester, Mass. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The event is free, and the morning and afternoon plenary sessions are open to the public. Afternoon break-out sessions are by invitation only.

###

For more information or to register to attend, please visit www.wpi.edu/news/np2009/

About the WPI Center for Neuroprosthetics

This center in the Bioengineering Institute at Worcester Polytechnic Institute is engaged in research aimed at developing technology that will place prosthetic limbs and organs under the control of the nervous system, enabling users to control these devices in the same way they do their natural appendages and organs. For military personnel who have lost limbs, neuroprosthetics will offer more rapid recovery and rehabilitation. The center draws upon WPI faculty expertise in the life sciences and biomedical, electrical, and mechanical engineering, including such areas as electronic control systems, communications, imaging, sensors, bio-compatibility, and biomaterials.

About the WPI Bioengineering Institute

The WPI Bioengineering Institute (BEI) is a multidisciplinary R&D organization utilizing academic, industry, and government partnerships to develop innovative healthcare technologies. BEI focuses on several major technologies, including sensing, bioprocessing, imaging, nanotechnology, remote diagnostics and treatment, and water quality. Seven multidisciplinary centers enable scientists, engineers, and clinicians to address tough research challenges with flexibility and imagination.

About Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Founded in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI was one of the nation's first engineering and technology universities. WPI's14 academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, management, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts, leading to bachelor's, master's and PhD degrees. WPI's world-class faculty work with students in a number of cutting-edge research areas, leading to breakthroughs and innovations in such fields as biotechnology, fuel cells, information security, materials processing, and nanotechnology. Students also have the opportunity to make a difference to communities and organizations around the world through the university's innovative Global Perspective Program. There are more than 20 WPI project centers throughout North America and Central America, Africa, Australia, Asia, and Europe.

Source

Ossur and Copenhagen

jtehmom — 2009-08-28T11:45:33-04:00

The Board of Directors of Ossur hf. has today decided to apply for listing of the Company's shares on NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen. Ossur's shares will continue to be listed on NASDAQ OMX Iceland as they have been since 1999.

An additional listing on NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen is believed to make strong strategic sense for the Company. Copenhagen offers access to the international investor community and is a recognized market for healthcare companies. Listing and compliance requirements are similar in Denmark and Iceland and both exchanges are part of the NASDAQ OMX Nordic group.

Jon Sigurdsson, President & CEO: "The listing of our shares in Iceland has served us well and we remain committed to all current and future shareholders. Since our initial listing, our sales have grown more than twenty times and we have transformed into a global company. The additional listing in Copenhagen is a logical next step for us. It is aimed at facilitating trade and fair pricing of our shares and strengthening the Company's foundation for future growth."

The new listing is expected to be approved next week. Nordea Bank will be the issuing agent in Denmark. Further information will be disclosed when the application for listing has been approved.

Following the listing the Board of Directors will, in order to facilitate liquidity, consider a modest issue of new shares corresponding to 5-7% of the Company's share capital. Such an issue would be directed towards institutional investors and in this connection Ossur has engaged Nordea Markets as financial advisor.

Trading with Icelandic financial instruments is currently subject to Icelandic Foreign Exchange Rules. Investors domiciled outside Iceland will, in general, be able to trade Ossur shares freely on the Danish market. Investors domiciled in Iceland can trade Ossur shares freely on the Icelandic market.

Further information on Ossur, including an introduction brochure and additional information on the trading of Ossur shares and transfer between Iceland and Denmark can be found on Ossur's website: www.ossur.com/investors

Ossur contacts: Jon Sigurdsson, President & CEO, tel. 354 515 1300 Hjorleifur Palsson, CFO, tel. 354 515 1300 Sigurborg Arnarsdottir, IR Manager, tel. 354 664-1044

About Ossur Ossur (OMX: OSSR) is a global leader in non-invasive orthopaedics that help people live a life without limitations. Its business is focused on improving people's mobility through the delivery of innovative technologies within the fields of bracing and supports, prosthetic limbs and compression therapies. A recognized "Technology Pioneer", Ossur invests significantly in research and product development; its award-winning designs ensuring a consistently strong position in the market. Successful patient and clinical outcomes are further empowered via Ossur's educational programs and business solutions. Headquartered in Iceland, Ossur has major operations in North America and Europe, with additional distributors worldwide.

This announcement was originally distributed by Hugin. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Texas Kids First Website Needs Spellcheck

jtehmom — 2009-08-27T08:54:31-04:00

Steven Plant, Licenced (sic) Orthoist (sic)

Company

Orthodic (sic) & Prosthetic Association

Address

7301 Fannin, Houston, TX, 77030

Telephone

(713) 797-0011

Fax

(713) 797-0010

Actual listing on the Texas Kids First website. WTH????
Check it out.