The Amputee Performance Center hosts a three-day seminar series for physical therapists, occupational therapists, and assistants focused on the specific needs of amputees. Our seminars are designed to provide therapists with the tools to maximize their patients’ performance. While we at Cornell O&P are known for our prosthetic and orthotic services along with being a provider of amputee supplies, we have a desire for all who are involved in our industry to be knowledgeable and successful.
Seminars include morning lectures and afternoon patient contact sessions. Attendance is limited to ensure individual attention and detailed discussion.
Curriculum
Seminar One: Acute Prosthetic Care
This seminar covers prosthetic care immediately after amputation up through early prosthetic fittings.
- Patient demographics and common co-morbidities
- Compressive dressing protocols and proper application
- Protective dressings
- Soft tissue complications: flexion contractures, adherent scars, and hypersensitivity
- Safety concerns: falls, cardiopulmonary stress associated with prosthetic use
- Initial prostheses: donning, doffing, care and wearing, and weight-bearing schedules
- Early gait training for lower-extremity amputees
Seminar Two: Definitive Prosthetic Care
This seminar will cover various types of definitive prostheses and advanced gait training. Donning, doffing, care, and maintenance will be discussed and demonstrated. Various prosthetic components will be discussed in context of how they can affect function and training.
- Socket types
- Suspension systems
- Knees, ankles, and feet: indications, contra-indications, advantages, and disadvantages
- Evaluation of proper leg length and footwear
- Negotiating environmental barriers, stairs, curbs, uneven ground, recovering from a fall, swimming, sports, and running
- Common fitting and soft-tissue problems
Seminar Three: Upper Extremity Care
This seminar will cover the advantages of various types of upper-extremity prostheses as well as required strengths, ROM, myotesting, and soft-tissue pressure tolerance.
- Passive, body-powered, and electric upper extremity prostheses
- Terminal device selection: hand vs. hook and why more than one are often required
- How the various types of prostheses are used, including stabilization, grasp, and developing a bimanual image.
Cornell Orthotics and Prosthetics
100 Cummings Center, Suite 207-H, Beverly, MA 01915
Tel 978-922-2866; Fax 978-922-0277
Cornell Orthotics and Prosthetics
4 Centennial Drive, Suite 103, Peabody, MA 01960
Tel 978-977-0772 Fax 978-977-0778
Mass General/North Shore Center for Outpatient Care
104 Endicott Street, Suite LL 03 Danvers, MA 01923
Tel 978-774-5800 F 978-774-5801