Prosthetics

South Texas VA’s senior prosthetist, Gordon Bosker presented 3-D printing technologies as part of South Texas’ Research Week celebration.

Prosthetics for women Veterans include customized orthotics and artificial limbs and post-mastectomy items. Also, mobility aids such as walkers and wheelchairs. And hearing aids and eyeglasses.

Navy Veteran Robert Chesser received a new prosthetic ear, created for him by prosthetist David Trainer, to replace the ear he lost to cancer.

Veteran Mac McEnery is walking with new prosthetic feet and shares his enthusiasm for his new activities with everyone. VA staff attribute his success to his positive attitude.

This episode of The American Veteran includes a story about Charles Norman Shay, a Native American who landed on Omaha Beach in the first wave on D-Day as a combat medic

“We, as adaptive people, should step out of the shadows back into the light and show the world that we can still live exciting full lives."

VA recently implemented a rapid response team to expand staffing, training and increase communication with Veterans in order to improve processes necessary for prosthetic items and services. 

Rob Jones said he decided to run 31 marathons in 31 days in different cities throughout the country to dispel the belief that if a Veteran comes home from a deployment with a psychological or physical injury that they’re somehow broken.

Afghanistan Veteran, Daniel Glanz, has a brand new prosthetic hand, an iLimb Quantum, with functions that are programmable with a smartphone app and can change functions with a simple gesture.

In 1947, VA introduced the first mobility and orientation rehabilitation [...]

“The LUKE arm is a shining example of why VA exists,” Secretary Shulkin said. “There is no commercial market for this type of technology...This is why VA and its research efforts – efforts that could not be replicated in the private sector – are so important.”

Innovation is immensely important to us at VA, which is [...]