fabrication

Fabricating Prosthetics

Because each patient and his or her amputation are unique, each prosthetic limb must be custom fitted and then built. This is the task of a prosthetist, who specializes in the fabrication and fitting of prosthetic limbs. Because prosthetists work to interface artificial devices with the human body, they need a wide range of skills in areas such as engineering, anatomy and physiology.

Virginia Prosthetics and Orthotics is proud to distinguish itself from many other O&P providers in that we have our own central fabrication facility located at our Roanoke office. We have always believed that in order to provide the highest level of patient service, we must perform our own fabrication, and our in-house facility provides just that.

How an In-House Fabrication Facility Benefits You

In today’s business model, many companies have turned to outsourcing most or virtually all of their orthotic and prosthetic fabrication to manufacturing companies located elsewhere in the country.

By doing our own in house fabrication, this allows us to eliminate the majority of errors that are inherent with communicating detailed information long distance from one person to another, i.e. from the practitioner who actually evaluates and measures the patient to the production worker who has never seen the patient and must make the device without the benefit of the practitioner’s supervision and input.

At Virginia Prosthetics and Orthotics, the same highly trained practitioner who evaluates and measures you also fabricates or works hand-in-hand with the technician who fabricates your device. This process ensures that the orthotic or prosthetic device you receive will have the highest degree of intimate fit and finish available.

In addition to the quality and fit advantages, manufacturing in-house allows us to produce and deliver the finished device with minimal interruption to the schedule, and any necessary adjustments or modifications can be made immediately during the fitting appointment. This allows the patient to return to their everyday lives that much more quickly.

The Making of a Prosthesis

The purpose of an external prosthetic is to replace the functional and cosmetic attributes of a missing body part. At Virginia Prosthetics and Orthotics, we concentrate on prosthetics for those patients who have lost an upper or lower limb. The prosthetics industry has seen more growth in the engineering and development of the mechanical functioning of prosthetic devices in the last 20 years than it has since the first prosthetic device was fitted in ancient Egypt more than 2,000 years ago.

Evaluation and Measurement

As discussed in the section on our website, “What should I expect,” when you are ready for your first prosthesis you will meet with one of our certified and experienced practitioners to evaluate your current condition and assess what it is that you need in order to fully regain your life, your independence, and any special goals you have set. During this appointment we will measure you for what is termed a “diagnostic socket”, which is a temporary socket that allows us to evaluate the fit and to determine any modifications that need to be made to your “definitive” or long term socket.