AtlanticProCare opens second location in Auburn, Maine.
PORTLAND, MAINE, January 22, 2021 -- AtlanticProCare, New England’s leading provider of customized mobility solutions for amputees, has opened a new second location in Auburn, Maine.
"We're excited by this opportunity to serve a broader population of patients," said JP Donovan, President and CEO of AtlanticProCare. "This new office will not only create more opportunities for amputee patients, it represents a significant step forward in our vision of integrating Prosthetic and Orthotic care with other care providers." The new office is in the same building as Central Maine Orthopaedics and Select Physical Therapy's Auburn location, offering greater convenience for those who are patients of both practices. This is the second such venture for AtlanticProCare, as its Portland office shares a building with Saco Bay Physical Therapy (see story below).
The new location is at 690 Minot Ave, Suite 2, Auburn, Maine. Patients wishing to schedule appointments there can call AtlanticProCare's central phone number at 877-538-8825 or fill out a request here.
ABOUT ATLANTICPROCARE
AtlanticProCare specializes in highly personalized prosthetic rehabilitation, with a wide range of custom mobility solutions that enhance the quality of life for amputee patients. Founded in 1993, AtlanticProCare is located in Portland, Maine, and serves patients across New England. Visit www.atlanticprocare.com to learn more about AtlanticProCare's specialized solutions.
Saco Bay Physical Therapy, AtlanticProCare create patient synergies.
PORTLAND, MAINE, October 31, 2019 -- Patients of both AtlanticProCare and Saco Bay Physical Therapy will soon find it more convenient to receive care. The two companies will have space in the same building when Saco Bay opens a new office later this month in the Libby School Professional Building Space, where AtlanticProCare has been located for 20 years.
While the two organizations will have separate entrances and no shared space or systems, having both in the same building will be a boon to the amputee patients who visit both, for whom separate visits to separate locations can be an inconvenience. “While our patients are extremely mobile and many of them are as active as able-bodied people, having to visit two different locations still requires more time, planning and expense than if they could simply go to a different floor of the same building,” said JP Donovan, President and CEO of AtlanticProCare. “One of our core principles is to find ways to make care easier and more convenient for our patients, and having Saco Bay in this building will certainly do that for some of them.”
“We’re excited to be sharing space with such a like-minded organization,” said Lawrence Risigo, owner of Saco Bay Physical Therapy. “Saco Bay was born on the principles of exceptional patient care, talented and caring professionals and the latest in evidence-based clinical practice, all values that AtlanticProCare shares. This move will give our amputee patients who want it access to an organization with a very similar approach to care.”
AtlanticProCare and Saco Bay both place high value on measuring performance, as both companies emphasize outcome-focused metrics that provide clear indicators of patient success. “Believe it or not, in 2019, some providers still don’t value this kind of measurement,” said Donovan, “but we always have, and it’s one of the reasons we’ve always had a good working relationship with the Physical Therapists at Saco Bay. A shared location is a great step forward in the post-acute care platform we envision that integrates independent PT and P&O around shared quality metrics and enhances the patient experience.”
Saco Bay opened their new office on October 21st and is currently scheduling for appointments in the new space.
ABOUT ATLANTICPROCARE
AtlanticProCare specializes in highly personalized prosthetic rehabilitation, with a wide range of custom mobility solutions that enhance the quality of life for amputee patients. Founded in 1993, AtlanticProCare is located in Portland, Maine, and serves patients across New England. Visit www.atlanticprocare.com to learn more about AtlanticProCare's specialized solutions.
ABOUT SACO BAY PHYSICAL THERAPY
Saco Bay Physical Therapy is part of the Select Medical Outpatient Division, a national network of more than 1,600 outpatient physical rehabilitation centers offering a wide range of general physical therapy services such as hand therapy, sports medicine and work injury prevention and management. Select Medical empowers its therapists by providing industry-leading continuing education opportunities. Select Medical's outpatient division provides physical therapy and athletic training services to professional sports teams, colleges, universities and high schools and serves as the exclusive physical rehabilitation provider to several major U.S. corporations.
AtlanticProCare hosts course for Physical Therapists
PORTLAND, MAINE, September 23, 2019 -- The world of acute post-amputation care is rapidly evolving, moving toward greater focus on measurable outcomes and greater integration between the many providers involved in amputee care. That’s the view of many providers, among them JP Donovan, CPO, President and CEO of AtlanticProCare, New England’s leading provider of personalized prosthetic care for amputees, Ossur, a global manufacturer of prosthetic solutions, and renowned University of Miami Professor of Physical Therapy Robert S. Gailey Jr., PhD, PT.
The three recently jointly developed and hosted a one-and-a-half-day training course for physical therapists in Portland. The course presented a practical application of performance-based outcomes measures, prosthetic gait assessment and prosthetic gait training to a group of local licensed physical therapists and certified prosthetists, and included an enhanced clinical experience involving a group of amputees, patients of AtlanticProCare who volunteered to assist with the training.
“We have had tremendous response from the more than a dozen therapists who attended the course,” said JP Donovan, President and CEO of AtlanticProCare. “The opportunity to combine our areas of expertise provided an experience for them that left them energized and excited, and that’s the first step to building in practices that will help improve patient outcomes. We hope to build on this momentum, and are already planning to host the course again in the near future.”
The course was held on August 13th and 14th at the Clarion Hotel in downtown Portland.
ABOUT ATLANTICPROCARE
AtlanticProCare specializes in highly personalized prosthetic rehabilitation, with a wide range of custom mobility solutions that enhance the quality of life for amputee patients. Founded in 1993, AtlanticProCare is located in Portland, Maine, and serves patients across New England. Visit www.atlanticprocare.com to learn more about AtlanticProCare's specialized solutions.
ABOUT OSSUR
Össur (NASDAQ 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 Prosthetics and Bracing & Supports. A recognized "Technology Pioneer," Össur 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 Össur's educational programs and business solutions. Headquartered in Iceland, Össur has major operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia, with additional distributors worldwide. www.ossur.com
ABOUT ROBERT S. GAILEY
Bob is a professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Department of Physical Therapy. He has a joint appointment as a Health Science Researcher with Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center and is also both the Director of the Functional Outcomes Research & Evaluation Center and a Special Advisor to the U.S. Department of Defense for amputee rehabilitation. His doctorate in prosthetics and orthotics was received from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, where he developed the Amputee Mobility Predictor, an objective measure of amputee function. More recently, he developed the Comprehensive High-Activity Mobility Predictor. He has authored over 50 publications and has continued research efforts related to amputee rehabilitation, the biomechanics and metabolic cost of prosthetic gait, functional assessment and the athletic pursuits of challenged athletes across their life spans. He received ISPO's 1995 Forcheimer Prize for Research, the Amputee Coalition of America's 2003 Dr. Ernest Burgess Award and the American Physical Therapy's 2009 Henry O. Florence & P. Kendall Practice Award.
AtlanticProCare's Telehealth Program saves patients time, money.
PORTLAND, MAINE, December 30, 2017 – AtlanticProCare, New England’s leading provider of customized mobility solutions for amputees, has launched a unique program that allows patients to be treated remotely through a variety of devices.
The Telehealth program is an entire system for care delivery that connects patients and other clinicians such as physical therapists or home health agencies to AtlanticProCare Coordinated Care Teams. Care can be delivered via any number of connected devices, including telephone and specially equipped tablets provided by AtlanticProCare.
By eliminating the need for an appointment, the program can save patients significant time and money – as much as $500 once all the costs associated with a visit are considered.
“Telehealth is one more way we are making it easier, more convenient and less expensive for our patients to receive the care they need to live the lives they want to live,” said JP Donovan, CEO and Owner of AtlanticProCare. “When you think about all that is involved with a visit – from getting time off work for patients and caregivers to costs for gas, vehicle wear and tear or other transportation, it can be quite expensive. So far, we’ve eliminated the need for hundreds of appointments for our patients, and we look forward expanding this program.”
The tablets are equipped so that at any point in a session, AtlanticProCare can send a link for recorded video conferencing, allowing the entire session from that point on to be documented for follow up. The Care team can answer questions, consult on treatment and even take measurements that may be needed to create a custom prosthesis or brace – which, through AtlanticProCare’s Rapid Ambulation Method, can be ready as soon as the patient can come in. Follow up care can be provided directly over the phone.
ABOUT ATLANTICPROCARE
AtlanticProCare specializes in highly personalized prosthetic rehabilitation, with a wide range of custom mobility solutions that enhance the quality of life for amputee patients. Founded in 1993, AtlanticProCare is located in Portland, Maine, and serves patients across New England. Visit www.atlanticprocare.com to learn more about AtlanticProCare's specialized solutions.
AtlanticProCare clinician to live as a Scoliosis patient in month-long Scoliosis Challenge.
PORTLAND, MAINE, October 30, 2017 – AtlanticProCare , New England’s leading provider of customized mobility solutions for amputees, has announced a unique program to build empathy for people with scoliosis , the curvature of the spine condition most common among girls and young women that often requires the wearing of a brace to correct.
Called the Scoliosis Challenge, the program involves Shannon Donovan, one of AtlanticProCare’s clinicians, wearing a scoliosis brace just as a patient would for the entire month of November. Donovan will record her impressions and thoughts throughout the month and share them so that others can understand better how scoliosis impacts young women.
“We’re very excited about undertaking this challenge,” said JP Donovan, CEO and Owner of AtlanticProCare. “While scoliosis is seldom considered a dangerous medical condition, for the adolescents and young people who frequently suffer from it, it can have a profound impact, and if left untreated, it can impede vital organ function. So it is important to treat it, and this challenge is a great way to help those who don’t have scoliosis develop a better understanding of what it’s like to live with it.”
Shannon Donovan, a 23-year old Prosthetic-Orthotic Specialist with the firm, does not have scoliosis herself. But to her, that makes the Scoliosis Challenge all the more important. “At AtlanticProCare, we focus on developing highly personalized plans of care for our patients,” she says. “What better way to personalize care for a scoliosis patient than to understand what she goes through?” Donovan will live as a scoliosis patient would – she will f ollow the break in schedule for the brace, wear the under-brace shirts and wear the brace for the full 21 hours a day, dealing with the daily struggles of wearing it at work, at home, etc. She will update her her progress daily on AtlanticProCare’s Facebook , Twitter and Instagram pages.
ABOUT ATLANTICPROCARE
AtlanticProCare specializes in highly personalized prosthetic rehabilitation, with a wide range of custom mobility solutions that enhance the quality of life for amputee patients. Founded in 1993, AtlanticProCare is located in Portland, Maine, and serves patients across New England. Visit www.atlanticprocare.com to learn more about AtlanticProCare's specialized solutions.
Innovative prosthetic suspension process reduces pain, improves mobility.
PORTLAND, MAINE, October 10, 2017 -- AtlanticProCare, New England’s leading provider of customized mobility solutions for amputees, has introduced an innovative prosthetic suspension process that promises better fit and performance for amputee patients.
The suspension, known as a sub-atmospheric elevated vacuum, equally distributes pressure all around the socket, pulling outward instead of pressing downward on only a few weight-bearing areas around the tibia. It thus provides excellent suspension and more comfortable fitting for many amputee patients using prostheses.
"We have many amputee patients who come to us in quite a bit of pain, unable to work or play comfortably in a prosthesis,” said JP Donovan, CEO and Owner of AtlanticProCare. “We have fit several dozen of them with this technology and have found very encouraging results to date. While it’s an innovative technique with tremendous promise, we consider each individual patient’s case as unique, and design each treatment plan custom to that patient to optimize their ability to improve their quality of life.”
The suspension was first developed in the late 1990s by Carl Caspers, CPO, a transtibial amputee, and was initially designed for the transtibial amputation level. Although its popularity among clinicians has risen over the last 17 years or so and it has increasingly been used in transtibial as well as transfemoral, partial foot, hip disarticulation, hemipelvectomy/transpelvectomy, and transradial prostheses, it is still employed by a minority of clinicians, according to Donovan. AtlanticProCare is one of the few practices in New England to employ the suspension.
ABOUT ATLANTICPROCARE
AtlanticProCare specializes in highly personalized prosthetic rehabilitation, with a wide range of custom mobility solutions that enhance the quality of life for amputee patients. Founded in 1993, AtlanticProCare is located in Portland, Maine, and serves patients across New England. Visit www.atlanticprocare.com to learn more about AtlanticProCare's specialized solutions.
AtlanticProCare and Portland Sea Dogs highlight active amputee living.
PORTLAND, MAINE, March 27, 2017 -- AtlanticProCare, New England’s leading provider of customized mobility solutions for amputees, and the Portland Sea Dogs, the minor-league double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, are partnering to promote active amputee living at the Sea Dogs’ game against the Richmond Flying Squirrels on Thursday, August 3rd at Hadlock Field.
AtlanticProCare will have 15 of its amputee patients in attendance at the game. Two of them will throw out the first pitch. There will also be an on-field group photo.
"We’re excited to highlight the active, fulfilling lives that amputee patients can live in today’s world,” said Chris Cameron, Vice President of Communications and Fan Experience for the Sea Dogs. “And what better way to illustrate that than to participate in the quintessential American activity -- a baseball game.”
JP Donovan, CEO and Owner of AtlanticProCare, said “We thank the Sea Dogs for their support of amputees. With today’s advanced technologies and a personalized plan of care, there’s almost nothing amputees can’t do anymore. Our patients hike, play soccer, golf, hold down jobs, raise families -- everything able-bodied people do.”
Tickets for the game can be purchased by calling the Sea Dogs Ticket Office at 207-879-9500 or online at www.seadogs.com.
ABOUT ATLANTICPROCARE
AtlanticProCare specializes in highly personalized prosthetic rehabilitation, with a wide range of custom mobility solutions that enhance the quality of life for amputee patients. Founded in 1993, AtlanticProCare is located in Portland, Maine, and serves patients across New England. Visit www.atlanticprocare.com to learn more about AtlanticProCare's specialized solutions.
AtlanticProCare announces innovative 3D printing program for custom prostheses
PORTLAND, MAINE, March 27, 2017 -- AtlanticProCare, New England’s leading provider of customized mobility solutions for amputees, has announced a unique partnership with several fabricators to test 3D printed prostheses.
AtlanticProCare is currently working with several 3D printing companies -- including Extremiti 3D and Create O&P -- each of whom have unique offerings based on proprietary software, hardware and materials. AtlanticProCare provides custom created CAD designs for the printers and then tests the outputs. AtlanticProCare is the only prosthetics and orthotics practice in Maine participating.
"This program is right on the leading of edge of prosthetics," said JP Donovan, CEO and Owner of AtlanticProCare. "It’s where the industry is heading, and we’re thrilled to be helping lead the way. We believe that 3D printing will soon be a new standard for delivering custom designed prosthetics.”
The 3D printing process removes several steps from the current manufacturing process for custom prostheses by eliminating the need for plaster and positive models. Its limitations include the cost of equipment and fewer materials options. At this point, that means firms like AtlanticProCare will have to use the technology as an outsourcing option. “We’re currently able to provide a custom fitted prosthesis in one visit with our RAM process and on-site lab,” said Donovan, “which we can’t yet do with 3D. But at some point, this technology will become the standard for everyone, and then we’ll be able to provide custom designs even faster.”
The program has been in place since late 2016 and AtlanticProCare has fitted over a dozen prostheses/orthoses using it.
ABOUT ATLANTICPROCARE
AtlanticProCare specializes in highly personalized prosthetic rehabilitation, with a wide range of custom mobility solutions that enhance the quality of life for amputee patients. Founded in 1993, AtlanticProCare is located in Portland, Maine, and serves patients across New England. Visit www.atlanticprocare.com to learn more about AtlanticProCare's specialized solutions.
O&P Almanac features AtlanticProCare
AtlanticProCare, New England’s leading provider of customized mobility solutions for amputees, has been profiled in the January 2017 issue of O&P Almanac, the magazine of the American Orthotics and Prosthetics Association. The article, titled "O&P in the Pine Tree State," takes and in-depth look at the practice, started in 1993 by JP Donovan, CEO and Owner of AtlanticProCare, who was interviewed for the article.
"We're thrilled to have this opportunity to get our story out," says Donovan. "It's an honor to be profiled and a testament to the high quality of our practice, our people and the care we provide for our patients."
Among the highlights in the article is a look at AtlanticProCare's Rapid Ambulation Method (RAM), which delivers a new prosthesis, from initial assessment to walking out the door, in one visit. Also highlighted are AtlanticProCare's Documentation Clinics.
The article can be viewed in the online edition of O&P Almanac. You can also download a PDF of the story.
AtlanticProCare specializes in highly personalized prosthetic rehabilitation, with a wide range of custom mobility solutions that enhance the quality of life for amputee patients. Founded in 1993, AtlanticProCare is located in Portland, Maine, and serves patients across New England.
New Clinics at APC Offer Amputee Patients Help With Documentation
AtlanticProCare, New England’s leading provider of customized mobility solutions for amputees, has launched an innovative program to assist patients with the often daunting documentation demands of their insurance companies. The company has partnered with local physiatrists -- physicians who specialize in rehabilitative medicine -- to provide "clinics" where patients can obtain the required physician documentation.
"Patients' insurance companies are requiring more and more documentation to support the medical necessity for Prosthetic Care every day," said JP Donovan, CEO and Owner of AtlanticProCare. "To assist patients in obtaining their much deserved insurance coverage, we have developed this program. Patients now can obtain the required physician documentation in one stop as part of our team approach."
Documentation has shown that a team approach to rehabilitative care is far superior to the fragmented, specialist type of care. This coordinated "clinic" approach gives patients an opportunity to be the center point of the team. They have one-on-one physician contact while the prosthetist is present. Test results and recommendations are discussed in detail while the physician completes his functional assessment.
The most recent addition to the clinic program is Dr. Elwood Fox, DO. Dr. Fox has extensive experience in providing care and advocating for the needs of patients who have undergone amputation both in Maine and in his native country of Bermuda.
Patients have been overwhelmingly satisfied with the care that this model has provided, which has been shown to significantly speed the time to treatment versus traditional methods.
For more information on our Clinics, call 1 877 538 8825, email us or visit our Contact page and fill out the form.
AtlanticProCare specializes in highly personalized prosthetic rehabilitation, with a wide range of custom mobility solutions that enhance the quality of life for amputee patients. Founded in 1993, AtlanticProCare is located in Portland, Maine, and serves patients across New England.
2016 Summer Paralympics Set to Get Underway in Rio
On Wednesday, September 7th, the 2016 Paralympics Games will get underway in Rio De Janeiro. The world's premiere event for disabled athletes will feature 4500 athletes from 176 nations competing in 23 sports, including two new sports, paratriathalon and canoeing (in which AtlanticProCare patient Agusto "Goose" Perez is competing).
The games are an opportunity to showcase the abilities of athletes with a range of physical, mental, permanent and temporary disabilities.
"These games are a great reminder that with determination and hard work, those who want to can even overcome significant physical and mental limitations," said JP Donovan, CEO and Owner of leading Maine prosthetics and orthotics provider AtlanticProCare. "The games are a tribute to people who refuse to be defined by their disability."
The games run until September 18. A full schedule, including broadcast schedules and profiles of competing athletes, can be found here.
S.829 Would Protect Prosthetics and Orthotics Patients
A bill currently under consideration in by the Senate Finance Committee would offer protections to patients by making a distinction between orthotics/prosthetics and durable medical equipment and would allow “medical necessity” for prostheses to be determined by the prosthetist/orthotist’s clinical notes.
The bill would also offer further protections by linking the complexity of the prosthesis to the professional qualifications of the prosthetist.
"This bill represents an important step forward for elevating the standards of practice in prosthetics and orthotics," said JP Donovan, CEO and Owner of leading Maine prosthetics and orthotics provider AtlanticProCare. "As such, it’s an important bill for amputees, and I encourage every amputee and their families to let their voices be heard on this issue."
A full summary of the bill from the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association can be viewed here. Members of the Senate Finance Committee can be reached here.
AOPA Reports Amputees Denied Coverage in Wake of Unfinalized Medicare Rule
The American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA) is warning that, as predicted, last summer's controversial Medicare rule is being exploited by private health care insurers to deny coverage to amputees for previously approved medical care and devices.
At a press conference held April 21st, 2016, AOPA officials pointed to two known cases of denial of coverage by national insurers to amputees for previously approved medical care and devices. In both cases, the denials followed the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) refusal to withdraw the Medicare rule.
"I think anybody familiar with either health insurance or amputees could see this coming," said JP Donovan, CEO and Owner of leading Maine prosthetics and orthotics provider AtlanticProCare. "The amputee community vigorously protested this rule as a step back to the 1970s in terms of care, and now it appears that is what is happening."
The full story can be found here.
AtlanticProCare Launches Ad Campaign Celebrating Amputees
AtlanticProCare, New England’s leading provider of customized mobility solutions for amputees, has launched a new ad campaign that celebrates the self-image of amputees. "Too often, the word 'amputee' becomes a label, and like any label, it limits the person it is applied to," says JP Donovan, Owner and CEO of AtlanticProCare. "But many amputees do not perceive that they are limited in any way. We wanted to celebrate that outlook."
The ad campaign, which kicked off on March 20 in Healthy Maine Magazine, features images of actual AtlanticProCare patients, with their prosthetics clearly visible, engaged in the pursuit of daily living to showcase their abilities. The headline of each ad speaks from the perspective of the patient, reflecting how he views himself. "Believe it or not, I used to be an amputee," says one ad. "Some people actually think I'm an amputee. I know, right?" says another.
AtlanticProCare specializes in highly personalized prosthetic rehabilitation, with a wide range of custom mobility solutions that enhance the quality of life for amputee patients. Founded in 1993, AtlanticProCare is located in Portland, Maine, and serves patients across New England.
AtlanticProCare Launches New Website
AtlanticProCare, New England’s leading provider of customized mobility solutions for amputees, has launched a new website.
The site features testimonials from patients and providers and offers a wide range of resources to help patients learn more about and cope better with amputation.
“Amputation is a life-changing event, and many times, patients feel as if it’s essentially a life-ending event,” said JP Donovan, Owner and CEO of AtlanticProCare. “But it doesn’t have to be. We wanted our new site to deliver a message of hope and encouragement to amputees that they can lead the life they want, whether that’s demanding and physical or just being able to manage the activities of daily living.”
The new site was designed to deliver a better user experience and make it easier for patients and providers to learn what they need to know about amputation and the services provided by AtlanticProCare. “We’re excited about the new look and feel and how it captures the AtlanticProCare difference,” said Donovan.
AtlanticProCare specializes in highly personalized prosthetic rehabilitation, with a wide range of custom mobility solutions that enhance the quality of life for amputee patients. Founded in 1993, AtlanticProCare is located in Portland, Maine, and serves patients across New England.
New Study Links EMFs, Post-Amputation Pain
A recent study by researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas provides scientific evidence supporting accounts of nerve sensations and/or pain among people who have undergone amputation when they are around cellphone towers and other technology that produce radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs).
This study is enlightening as it is one of the first to study the effect of cell phone towers on subjects with a pre-existing condition. In this case, nerve sensitivity or neuropathy significantly increased the likelihood of experiencing painful symptoms following exposure to EMF’s found in close proximity to your home town tower.
"While we don’t typically see as many patients who have undergone amputation surgery experiencing neuroma pain as the study indicates, we do see some chronic pain conditions in this population have enduring symptoms," said JP Donovan, CEO and Owner of leading Maine prosthetics and orthotics provider AtlanticProCare. "These findings are significant for our patients with amputations, diabetes and other neurologic conditions. We will watch this closely for continued research on this hot topic."
The full article on the study can be found here.
New Technology Warns Patients of Foot Ulcer Risk
Members of the BioDesign:Medical Innovation program in Israel have linked pressure-sensing socks to a smart phone application that warns patients of developing risk of foot ulcers.
This high technology solution addresses the age old dilemma of diabetic foot wounds leading to lower extremity amputations. The sock device has the potential to decrease the incidence of a grossly debilitating deformity that challenges individual’s mobility.
"This kind of technology is wholeheartedly supported in our profession," said JP Donovan, CEO and Owner of leading Maine prosthetics and orthotics provider AtlanticProCare. "If widely implemented, this device has the potential to reduce or at least speed attention to potential diabetic ulcerations which, with vascular disease, are the leading cause of lower extremity amputations in the United States. This would also represent a significant reduction in health care related costs."
The full article can be found here.
New Exoskelton Spine Brace Promises More Effective Scoliosis Treatment
Researchers at Columbia’s School of Engineering are hoping to replace low-tech plastic bracing with a smart exoskeleton that bends and moves with the patient’s body, while still exerting targeted force on the affected areas of the spine. This could make it possible for a patient to get the benefits of bracing, even as she bends, twists and participates in a variety of activities.
This research is very timely for those impacted by Scoliosis. The side-to-side curvature of the spine that impacts adolescents, girls more than boys, is often treated in a scoliosis bracing system. These bracing systems have been highly effective as demonstrated in the scientific literature, however, they are often rigid plastic casts which encumber the patient.
"This research is groundbreaking simply in the fact that it is studying the “rigidity” of stiffness of different curve patterns in different patients, said JP Donovan, CEO and Owner of leading Maine prosthetics and orthotics provider AtlanticProCare. "This will likely lead to increased knowledge of how the curves respond to corrective forces and hopefully will drive additional design development that may provide improved comfort and effectiveness for those individuals effected."
The full article can be found here.