Background
o 1.7 million amputees currently living in the US.
o 185,000 amputations occur yearly in the US.
o The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have resulted in more than 450 new patients with amputations, including some with multiple amputations.
o Transfemoral (above the knee) and transhumeral (above the elbow) amputees are currently an underserved population. Many are young, otherwise healthy individuals with amputations due to trauma or tumors. One-third of the amputee population has difficulty wearing a socket, often due to wounds, skin irritation, pain, or a short residual limb that cannot be easily fit with a standard external prosthesis.
o The OPRA (Osseointegrated Prosthesis for the Rehabilitation of Amputees) is an implant system for direct anchorage of the external prosthesis to the skeleton, thereby bypassing the need for traditional sockets and making it right for patients with high amputations.
We are currently the only center in the nation providing this technology.
o High level amputations adversely affect quality of life and productivity in society, often rendering affected individuals unable to work. This fact decreases the feasibility of participating or even taking the first step in joining our study.
Why is osseointegration important?
o Despite improvements in socket fit and prosthetic design, individuals with high level amputations continue to have difficulty wearing a traditional socket. Some of the problems reported from wearing a traditional socket are perineal pressure, rotation and suspensory issues, skin breakdown, lack of stability, and general discomfort while walking. There are few options for these patients, and many must walk with crutches or a walker and sometimes are confined to a wheelchair.
How will osseointegration change people’s lives?
o The use of the OPRA device in this patient population has the potential to provide a stable, durable anchor for prosthetic fitting, eliminating socket difficulties, and allowing an improved level of function, thereby making it right for these patients.
