How to choose a prosthesis, the secret of choosing a prosthesis

  We once published an article (Misunderstandings about the installation of prostheses that everyone has (an in-depth article)) saying that there are misunderstandings in the installation of prostheses. Now our process of installing prostheses is: the salesperson actively comes to the door---the business recommends the prosthetic limb---the patient passively receives information about the prosthetic limb recommended by different salesmen---the patient vaguely chooses the prosthetic limb---go to the prosthetic limb company to install it. In fact, during the whole process, we ignored some important issues: 1. Who installs the prosthetic limb? 2. How is the prosthesis installed? 3. Does price determine which prosthesis is best? 4. Who decides whether the prosthesis is comfortable to wear?

Everyone must understand these issues when installing prosthetic limbs 1. Who installs the prosthetic limb? Prosthetic limb installation can be done by a prosthetic limb company, a prosthetic limb fitting station of the Disabled Persons' Federation, or a rehabilitation center. What needs to be understood is that these units that provide prosthetic installation sites are not prosthetic manufacturers. Their function is to sell you prosthetic products and prosthetic assembly services. The prostheses are not produced by them (it is not ruled out that some of them are self-produced or OEM, but I will not explain too much). The prosthetic parts are already finished before you install them and are not personalized. For example: when you install an air conditioner in your home, it is not the manufacturer who installs the air conditioner for you. Let me emphasize again that prosthetic limb companies are not prosthetic limb manufacturers. To be more precise, prosthetic limb companies should be called prosthetic limb assembly service companies. So here I want to say a word for prosthetic fitting service companies. If there is a problem with your prosthetic limb, the prosthetic limb company may not necessarily be held responsible for all the problems. The problems with the prosthetic limb socket (explained in detail below), the artificial limb company's man-made damage during the assembly process of the prosthetic limb, and the artificial subcontracting are ruled out. The prosthesis cannot be worn and there are quality problems. You need to consider whether you can wear a prosthetic limb. If there is a problem with the quality of the prosthetic limb, you need to contact the manufacturer. 2. How is the prosthesis installed? I often say that if practitioners don’t amputate limbs, who can understand prosthetics? Therefore, the knowledge we acquire about prosthetics is initially received passively, with different people telling you about different brands, functions, and concepts. To be honest, you are all in a state of confusion, and you don’t know which one is suitable for you. So I don’t know what prosthetic limbs are or how to install them.  

I was once chatting with a patient, and he asked me whether surgery was required to install a prosthetic limb. He believed that surgery was required to install a prosthetic limb. It is true that in foreign countries, prosthetic joints are implanted into bones. However, due to current technological limitations, there are still many problems with installing prosthetics in this way.   The installation of prosthetic limbs is not that complicated. Just choose the prosthetic parts that suit your body and assemble them like building blocks. For example, thigh prosthesis: prosthetic foot + ankle joint + connecting parts + knee joint + socket In this way, the thigh prosthesis is assembled and no surgery is required. 3. Does price determine which prosthesis is best? Everyone has a saying when buying things, you get what you pay for. Yes, good goods must come with good prices, and good goods are certainly not cheap. In the practical process of installing prosthetic limbs, in fact, the most expensive prosthetic limbs are not suitable for everyone, and the cheapest ones are not necessarily bad.  

For example, in 2011, I met a patient in his 40s who had his right calf amputated in Jianchang, Huludao, Liaoning Province. He installed a 4,500 yuan stainless steel calf prosthesis, and then went to work in a brick factory, and it worked well. In the same year, I met a 73-year-old retired cadre in Chengde, Hebei Province who spent 50,000 yuan to install a knee joint. Because of his age and frailty, he still needs the assistance of a cane to walk safely, and he wears it out after a short time. Through the above two examples, I just want to tell everyone that you need to consider your own situation when choosing prostheses: For example: the prosthesis you choose based on your own needs such as economy, physical fitness, age, etc. is still very suitable for you, and you may not necessarily choose the most expensive one. 4. Who decides whether the prosthesis is comfortable to wear? Whether a prosthetic limb is good or bad depends not only on the price of the prosthetic limb. The more expensive the prosthetic limb, the more expensive the prosthetic limb is. It does not determine whether it is comfortable to wear. A million-dollar prosthesis is worn on the body, and the socket is not suitable for it. Even if it is worn for a few days, it still doesn’t want to be worn. Why? The socket is uncomfortable to wear and the residual limb cannot bear it. Therefore, the key is that the prosthesis is comfortable to wear. The socket is tailor-made for the customer by prosthetic technicians, and the technician's production level will determine the patient's experience wearing the prosthetic limb.  

Therefore, looking back at the prosthetic limb installation process mentioned above, we will find that this key figure did not appear during the prosthetic limb installation process. When you pay for the wheelchair impression, a man in a white coat appears in front of you. The actual process of installing a prosthetic limb should be to first choose the appropriate joint according to your own situation, and then select a technician with good skills to install the prosthetic limb.   So I want to emphasize here that the prosthetic technician is the most important link in the entire prosthetic installation process.   If you have already installed a prosthetic limb, you must be deeply aware of this problem. For those of you who have not yet installed a prosthetic limb, it is recommended to read this article carefully.

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