Dorset Orthopaedic

Prosthetic hands made by Touch Bionics have featured in an episode of popular television series Hawaii Five-0.

Jason Koger, aged 33, lost both arms below the elbow following a 2008 four-wheeler accident involving a downed electrical wire. After the near-fatal accident  Jason has a set of advanced bionic hands from Touch Bionics. Jason stars as a body double for a villian who is a bi-lateral amputee  in the episode aired in April.

Jason is the first double amputee in the world to receive one of the most innovative products on the market: bionic hands that are, in part, controlled by an iPhone app. The i-Limb Ultra revolution is the latest innovation from prosthetic developers Touch Bionics. The prosthetic features five individually powered fingers and fully rotatable thumb.

Watch Jason demonstrating the new i-limb ultra in this video.

Clinical Director David Hills explains:

“We have been working with Touch Bionics since 2007 and became a certified supplier of their innovative bionic products in 2008, such as i-limb digits and i-limb hand. The new i-Limb Ultra ‘revolution’ hand is their most advanced product to date and will be hugely beneficial to many of our clients. Introducing powered rotation of the thumb and allowing the user to select and alter grip patterns of their prosthetic hand through an iPod are great additions to what was already one of the most advanced electronic hands available.”

Dorset Orthopaedic hope to introduce this exciting, groundbreaking technology in the near future.

Enquire here about any of our products.

Margaret Maughan holds the distinction of being Britain’s first ever gold medallist at the 1960′s Paralympic Games in Rome.

Margaret was left paralysed from the waist down and unable to walk by a road accident in Malawi in 1959. She returned to Britain and was treated at at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, where she stayed for almost a year, where spinal injury unit founder and Paralympics founder Sir. Ludwig Guttmann, pioneered the use of sport in therapy. There, she took up Archery and joined an Archery club.

The following June Margaret was invited to The National Stoke Mandeville Games, a sports competition for wheelchair athletes.

“I must have done quite well, because to my amazement a short time later I was invited to be a member of this team going to Rome!”

In Margaret’s first games the accommodation was on stilts, and the Paralympians had to be carried in and out by soldiers. Undignified it might have been, but Margaret didn’t seem to mind! It was typical of the times. She won the first British Paralympics Gold Medal in Archery 1960 and competed in a further 4 Paralympic Games up to 1980.

BBC Correspondent, Peter White, meets Margaret, now aged 85 in the BBC Radio 4 programme ‘No Triumph No Tragedy’ (aired in April) talking in detail about the progress of the Paralympics, from just 70 Paralympians competing in Rome in 1960 to more than 4,000 in the London 2012 games.

Margaret says

“Who would have thought that my gold medal that I kept in a plastic bag in a drawer was going to bring me such fame!”

Listen to Margaret’s captivating story here.

There’s no stopping Colin Edwards, nicknamed ‘Forest’ by his peers, with his Comfort Fit® Prosthetic Socket from Dorset Othopaedic.

Previously Colin has successfully ran 630 miles across England’s South West Coastal path, completed a 20-mile off road run – ‘The Grizzly’ for the sixth time in March this year and completed the Salcombe Coastal Marathon this month!

Dorset Orthopaedic made Colin’s Prosthetic Socket with ultra lightweight carbon fibre and flexible materials to achieve comfort and lightness.  This, with the combination of years of experience and the ability to hand form each socket on an individual basis, really makes a difference to amputees.

Colin’s Prosthetist Matthew Hughes explains:

“A socket is vital. You can have the best prostheses in the world, but if the socket is not comfortable, nothing is going to be right in everyday activity, let alone competing in intensive sport that Colin whole-heartedly enjoys.”

After completing The Grizzly, Colin commented:

“After an extreme run I was expecting some sores on my stump, but I didn’t suffer from any sores or abrasions from my socket from Dorset Orthopaedic. I was so impressed.”

Colin has also continued to train and successfully ran thirty miles in the Salcombe Coastal Marathon earlier this month!!!

Stay tuned for Colin’s next endeavour…

Read other client stories here.

Our Prosthetist, Moose Baxter, will be joining 3 of his military colleagues in The Cumbrian Challenge 2013 on Saturday 18th May. This is a grueling challenge over the Cumbrian Peaks, competing against our inspirational wounded servicemen, in aid of Walking With The Wounded.

Moose has previously worked with British and Foreign military where he developed expertise in treating complex trauma injuries and limb-loss, from the early stages immediately after injury, through to the individual’s very active and adventurous stage of rehabilitation.

Moose continues his links with the military as a reservist soldier with the Honourable Artillery Company, which keeps him busy with regular field training, as well as ceremonial duties. He is passionate about competing in this challenge to raise money for the charity Walking With The Wounded (WWTW).

Walking With the Wounded (WWTW) aim to fund the re-training and re-education of servicemen and women, both veterans and those leaving The Armed Forces. Our armed forces risk their lives in extreme circumstances, and they do so with great professionalism and courage. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice, losing their lives in the course of duty or suffer horrific injuries. When they return home they face a very different future to the one they had planned and with challenges they never imagined.

WWTW finance new qualifications, education and training programmes for those who are injured, to help with career transition. This enables the blind, the burn victims, the mentally injured, the amputees and all the other wounded personnel to rebuild their lives and to return to the work place.

Moose explains:

“As reservists for the Honourable Artillery Company my team all feel passionately that any support we can offer to charities is the least we can do. I personally have worked with the MoD at DMRC Headley Court as a prosthetist, so I’ve seen first hand and at length the support the injured lads receive, and the benefits that are felt, from charities such as WWTW.”

Dorset Orthopaedic has donated £500 to sponsor Moose’s team and support the charity.

Moose comments:

“It is remarkably generous. I am delighted that Dorset Orthopaedic are, quite rightly, able to see the benefits WWTW offer to wounded service personnel. As a company, and as prosthetists, we clearly have an insight in to the lives of amputees, the challenges it can present and what can be achieved. It’s great that Dorset Orthopaedic have chosen to encourage my involvement with this event and to show support for injured service personnel in this way.”

With the vast challenge in front of him, Moose is determined to complete this “daunting feat” to climb 33km with an ascent of 2327m as fast as possible.

“I’m trying to get out walking on inclines as much as I can and trying to pick my running distances back up as well. I’ve become generally pretty fit over the last couple of years as a reservist, but I think this will certainly push me to my limit somewhat!”

Sponsor Moose and his team in this epic challenge and support our wounded here.

Read more about Moose’s previous work at Headley Court in this case study.

For more information about this event contact Moose on MooseB@dorset-ortho.com.

GOOD LUCK MOOSE!!!