Some of the BEST SESSIONS ever offered by the Academy will be presented in Orlando!
Read more about the seesions highlighted here in the Session Preview
An Instructional Course on Spinal Instability
Jeff Nemeth, CPO, FAAOP and Keith Smith, CO will cover current techniques on management of the traumatic and pathologically unstable upper thoracic and lower cervical spine, as well as new research. Also presenting will be a neurosurgeon discussing a physician's perspective on orthotic management of spine instabilities.
Upper-Extremity Prosthetics – The Iraqi Experience
This instructional course follows seven Iraqi civilians whose hands were cut off by Saddam Hussein's henchmen. The seven were given special visas and sent to Houston, TX for residual limb revision surgeries and prosthetic evaluations. They received donated services including surgeries, myoelectric prostheses, and rehabilitation. The 90-minute presentation chronicles the patients from arrival to conclusion including prosthetic functional use training. The team approach discussed in this situation involves the prosthetists, who evaluated the men, then casted, fabricated and modified the myoelectric prosthetic devices, therapists, who evaluated and treated the men pre-prosthetically and post-prosthetically, and a manufacturer's representative who donated the myoelectric products as well as provided technical assistance with evaluation/training software.
Microprocessor Knee Symposium
Researchers Doug Smith, MD and Margrit Meier, PhD, CPO examine the recent surge in clinical use of microprocessor knee technology. Early anecdotal reports have suggested transfemoral amputees can experience a new freedom in activities, stability, and improved function in a range of domains. Smith and Meier discuss the results of studies assessing the microprocessor knee technology from various viewpoints. Scott Elliott reports the Outcome Assessment of a Magnetorheological Microprocessor-controlled Knee System comparing functional characteristics of the knee system versus the user's existing mechanical knee. And Kim DeRoy presents the clinical outcome of Powered Prosthetics, where 17 transfemoral amputees successfully adapted to a powered prosthesis to safely perform traditional and unprecedented activities.
Jason Kahle, CPO will be discussing microprocessor knee technology in his Thranhardt Lecture, Patient Performance and Outcome: A Comparative Analysis of Microprocessor and Mechanically Controlled Prosthetic Knee Joints. He reports on a study that examined the functional difference etween a patient's conventional knee and a microprocessor-controlled knee to determine if the knee improves function, perception, performance, and is a medical necessity.
2 Joint Sessions Will Spark Academy and ACPOC Attendees
Although ACPOC sessions are mainly focused on pediatric challenges there are several papers which are applicable to adult patients, such as Adult Outcomes in Fibular Deficiency Following Amputation or Lengthening, Effect of Gel Padding on Pressure Distribution in Ankle Foot Orthoses, Temperature Differences in a Ventilated and Non-Ventilated Transtibial Socket, and Etiology and Management of Chronic Wounds and Ulcers. Two joint ACPOC and Academy sessions will be:
Cerebral Palsy Spasticity
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta will present interdisciplinary strategies for the management of spasticity in children with cerebral palsy. Michael L. Schmitz, MD, Janet Lombardo, CPO, Katie Ennis, CO, and Colleen Coulter-O'Berry, PT, PCS will discuss the implications and impact of conservative, surgical, orthotic and physical therapy treatment options. Considerations for outcomeoriented decision-making and the development of treatment plans will also be included.
Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency
Some of the most challenging congenital limb deficiencies are the various forms of proximal femoral focal deficiency (PFFD). Doctors Robin Crandall, Hugh Watts, and J. Ivan Krajbich and prosthetist Robert Lipschutz discuss diagnostic and treatment options with respect to the multiple types of PFFD. Surgical and prosthetic options will also be discussed in detail with emphasis on complications and satisfactory outcomes.
Management of Bilateral Lower-Extremity Amputees
An all-star roster of speakers will tackle this important subject on fitting techniques and appropriate selection of componentry to provide the best opportunity for efficient, functional patient mobility. Due to their level of disability and limitations in current prosthetic technology, the gait of bilateral amputees is considerably different from able-bodied individuals or persons with unilateral limb loss. Results from recent research indicate that prosthetic components designed to increase ankle motion provide significant improvements in walking ability for bilateral amputees.
Presentation and panel discussion by:
Steven Gard, PhD
Donald Shurr, CPO, PT
Brian Ruhe, MS
Jack Uellendahl, CPO
Three Clinical Techniques Sessions
Well worth the small added charge and investment of time. Clinical Techniques sessions are separate activities from the Annual Meeting and require an additional fee. Started in
2004, the demand for special sessions such as these continues to grow.
CT #1: Hip Disarticulation and Hemipelvectomy: Practical Approaches from Juvenile to Adulthood
Jim Kaiser, CP, John Angelico, CP, FAAOP, and Dave Rotter, CPO will present practical approaches in the management of hip disarticulation and hemipelvectomy levels of amputation. The trio will present case studies of fittings and problem solving of juvenile, active adult and geriatric fittings. Participants will learn evaluation, casting, alignment and, gait assessment. Special emphasis will be placed on practical approaches in the clinical management of these often difficult fittings. 90 minutes. $75.
CT #2: Current Concepts in the Orthotic Management of the Lower-Limb in Children (Two Parts)
Tom DiBello, CO, FAAOP chairs a panel of international experts to discuss evaluation, design, impression and fitting process for pediatric lower-limb orthoses. This course consists of two, separate 1 1.2 hour segments on Friday and Saturday morning. The content will blend a review of current techniques with a presentation of more advanced evaluation and casting techniques, focusing on lower limb orthotic management only. Day One will focus on an intense review of gait analysis, observational gait analysis and orthotic design principles. Didactic material will be supported by patient video presentations. Group discussion and participation will be encouraged. Day Two will involve the group evaluation and staff casting, mold modification and fitting of a patient from the local community. Focus will be on optimization of design and fit for that patient. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of pediatric gait analysis, design principles, casting and fitting techniques. However, the primary goal is to present a method by which practitioners may apply the techniques presented to their daily practice in a more codified way. $75.
CT #3: Upper-Extremity Harnessing Techniques
Two well-known experts, Jack Uellendahl, CPO and Gerald Stark, Jr., CP, FAAOP share their experiences and insights on the various harness designs for upper extremities. The session will provide an overview of harnessing principles for body-powered and hybrid control strategies. Both presenters will offer several case presentations to illustrate the principles. Conventional harnessing serves the dual role of suspension and control of the body-powered prosthesis. Electrically powered prostheses may rely on harnessed control sources to actuate switches, servos, or linear transducers. In designing a harness system it may be useful for the prosthetists to consider suspension and control separately. Self-suspending socket designs alter the harness requirements significantly. Likewise, control inputs for electrically-powered components have very different harnessing requirements from their conventional body-powered counterparts. Don't miss this 90-minute session. $75.
Thranhardt Golf Classic
Wednesday, March 16
Complete registration and sponsorship
info is on the OPAF website at www.opfund.org
Contact Julie Besaha () at (202) 223-2878. Individual registration fee is $150. Corporate sponsorships of holes and registrations are available.
Debut of Online Learning Center
The Academy's Online Learning Center will be named in honor of a dedicated practitioner who has contributed much to the O&P field. Be sure to join us for the short slide presentation during the opening session announcing the naming of the Center. The Center will include individual education sessions authored by Academy presenters as well as other sessions from manufacturers and other sources. In addition, case studies and the JPO articles and quizzes will be housed in the Center for members' convenience in earning PCE credits at their office or home.
Academy Netter Office Charts
Three charts based on information presented at the consensus conferences on scoliosis, plagiocephaly, and the diabetic foot have been created by members of the conference committees and illustrated by Netter, the leading provider of medical education charts. The charts will be mailed to Academy members in March and additional copies given away at the Academy's membership booth.
Resident Poster Competition
In addition to the excellent poster presentations traditionally developed by practitioners and research teams, the Academy is proud to encourage the participation of residents by creating a Resident Poster Competition. As of December 1, the resident posters include topics such as: clubfoot, planar faciitis, caudal regression syndrome, AFO reinforcements, post-operative limb protectors, gait analysis, and balance of different prosthetic feet.
