Custom Made Prosthesis Abroad

Custom Made Prosthesis cost:
{the cost covers all destination medical & logistics costs}
International Destinations: India, Jordan, Mexico, South Korea, Turkey

Annually several people lose their limbs to disease or injury. As per available data from the Amputee Coalition of America, there are approximately 1.7 million people in the United States who have lost their limbs to some condition or injury. Annually more than 185000 amputation surgeries are performed in the United States.

In addition to this, almost one in every 4000 live births in the United States suffer from congenital limb deformities, which may require an amputation. The most common causes of amputation or limb loss are primarily due to trauma, dysvascular disease, and malignancy, in decreasing order of their incidence.

Prosthetic limbs are incredibly valuable for amputees or people suffering from congenital limb deformities. The prosthetic limbs help these individuals to restore some of their essential functions and capabilities like walking and performing routine activities.

Though technology has not evolved significantly in this domain so as to restore all the biological functions that are lost, they do possess significant value. India, South Korea, Jordan, Mexico, and Turkey are some of the countries that provide the latest prosthetic services at affordable prices.

Why Prosthetic Limbs?

Artificial limbs or prosthetic limbs are needed primarily due to loss of limb due to diseases or accidents. Some of the common conditions that require amputation or result in limb loss include,

• Diabetes Mellitus: One of the most common complications of diabetes is gangrene, which requires an amputation. Though diabetes is not associated with major limb loss (which may require prosthesis), delayed detection of the same may result in the loss of a large portion of the lower limb
• Cancers: Osteo-sarcomas (i.e. cancers of the bones and soft tissue) often require amputations and result in limb loss
• Infections: Infections by some microorganisms, especially clostridium tetani, may result in gangrene due to impaired blood circulation and destruction of nerve endings.
• Accidents or Injuries: This is the most common cause of limb loss, which may occur due to road traffic accidents, home accidents, wars, etc.
• Vascular Disorders: Certain types of vascular diseases result in impaired circulation to the extremities, which in turn may result in gangrene and would require an amputation.
• Congenital Limb Anomalies: Some unfortunate individuals are born with limb defects and require artificial limbs and prostheses to help them perform their routine functions

Types of Prosthetic Limbs

The type of prosthetic limb depends upon the extremity involved and the extent of limb loss. Based on this, there are four basic types of limb prostheses available,

• Transtibial Prosthesis: This prosthesis is used for the lower extremity to replace the limb loss below the knees. This prosthesis provides greater mobility and a better chance of regaining the limb functions as the knee is retained.
• Transfemoral Prosthesis: This artificial limb helps replace some of the functions of the limb lost above the knee. The normal functions can not be completely regained. Newer technology has provided some hope for improving these functions effectively.
• Transradial Prosthesis: The replacement of limb loss of the upper extremity below the elbow is referred to as a trans radial prosthesis. This artificial limb allows greater mobility of the upper arm due to the retention of the elbow.
• Transhumeral Prosthesis: The replacement of a limb for a missing arm above the elbow is referred to as transhumeral prosthesis. This limits the extent of mobility that the individual can regain

Modern Technology

The presence of newer materials like carbon fiber and plastic has helped in making the prosthetic limbs stronger and lighter compared to the conventional limb material (metal, wood). Further a constantly evolving technology of electronic limbs provides a great opportunity for restoring most of the functions of the lost limbs.

Furthermore, an amputee would require multiple prosthetic limbs, each dedicated to a specialized function or activity.

The Components of a Prosthetic Limb

An artificial limb has the following components,

• Pylon: It is the basic internal framework of the limb, which provides structural support. It is composed of metal rods or carbon fibers. The Pylon is enclosed in a cover which is made up of foam-like material which provides a more natural appearance.
• Socket: The portion of the prosthetic limb that connects the limb stump to the artificial limb. It is fitted into the patient very carefully to avoid any form of irritation to the stump (i.e. residual limb of the patient) or damage to the skin tissue due to constant pressure by the artificial limb. Typically the internal portion of the socket is lined by soft and smooth material to facilitate easy movement and to avoid friction.
• Suspension system: This portion of the prosthetic limb keeps the artificial limb attached to the body. This system has several forms, including straps, belts, sleeves, etc. An air tight suction suspension is a preferred option, which allows the artificial limb to fit tightly with the residual stump through an airtight seal.
• Further, in addition to the above basic structure of the limb, an artificial knee or an artificial elbow may be required for transfemoral and transtibial prosthetics, respectively.

Custom Made Prosthetic Limb: The Process and Follow Through

• Each patient’s requirements are different, and hence it is essential to custom-fit each prosthetic limb. This task is done by a prosthetist (i.e. a person who specializes in fitting and fabrication of prosthetic limbs) who is required to have specialized expertise in areas such as anatomy, physiology, and engineering so as to fit an artificial device into the human body.
• Ideally, a prosthetist takes the measurements prior to the surgery. The prosthetist may interact with the operating surgeon to discuss the nature of the procedure so that the prosthetic limb can be designed with utmost accuracy and detail.
• In some cases, the measurements are taken after the surgery is conducted. In these situations, the prosthetist would have to wait for some weeks after the surgery once the wound has healed and the swelling has gone down
• A plaster mold of the residual limb is prepared. This would serve as a sample of the residual limb while preparing the artificial limb and is subsequently used to test fit the artificial limb, before tying it out on the patient.
• Newer technologies are emerging where digital measurements are taken through a computerized system. The measurements include the details of the location of muscles, bones, and tendons, the condition of the patient’s skin, and the structure of the residual limb.
• After the customized artificial limb is prepared for the patient, physical therapy is very critical. Normally a patient requires several months of training with the artificial device to be able to use it effectively.
  The prosthetist provides rehabilitation and monitors the patients during the training. If required the prosthetist would make necessary adjustments or corrections in the artificial limb to suit the patient better.
• Further, the size of the residual limb will undergo changes. For example, it may shrink in size due to muscular atrophy resulting from the lack of use or an increase in the size of the limb among children due to natural growth.
  The prosthetist will closely work with the patient and make changes in the artificial limb by resizing, reshaping, or replacing the prosthetic limb as per the requirements of the situation.
• The interaction with the prosthetist is a lifelong process, as the device may eventually break down and require replacement. As per the data available from the National Limb Loss Information Centre, a prosthetic limb has an average life span of about three years.

Custom Made Prosthetic Limbs in India

With rapid development, growing infrastructure, and advancing technology, India has taken the lead in catering to the need for prosthetic limbs among amputees. The biggest advantage offered is the factor of cost.

The best example in the Indian context is the famous Jaipur Foot, which is a rubber based prosthetic limb for people with amputation below the knee. This prosthetic foot has been very useful in restoring most functions of the patients, with a cost of a meager 40 US dollars.

Custom Made Prosthetic Limbs in Mexico

Prosthetic Limb technology has evolved considerably in Mexico due to the quick influx of technology from its neighboring United States of America. Further, the technology is considerably cheaper and easily available in Mexico compared to the United States.

Custom Made Prosthetic Limbs in Turkey

Turkey caters to most of the Middle East, where criminal offense is punished with amputations. This has, however, helped Turkey evolve its technology of prosthetic limbs to cater too much of the needs of Middle Eastern Countries.

Custom Made Prosthetic Limbs in Jordan

Its proximity to the European Union has helped it embrace the advanced prosthetic limb technology. It caters to prosthetic limb requriements of most of Europe due to the advantage of cost.

Custom Made Prosthetic Limbs in South Korea

Similar to India, South Korean Technology is extremely cheap. Further, the technology incorporates the latest innovations in medical science, like robotics, to improve mobility and enhance the functioning of the lost limb.