Prosthetists are autonomous registered practitioners who provide gait analysis and engineering solutions to patients with limb loss. They are extensively trained at undergraduate level in mechanics, bio-mechanics and material science along with anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology. Their qualifications make them competent to design and provide prostheses that replicate the structural or functional characteristics of the patient’s absent limb. They are also qualified to modify CE-marked prostheses or componentry taking responsibility for the impact of any changes. They treat patients with congenital loss as well as loss due to diabetes, reduced vascularity, infection and trauma. Military personnel are forming an increasing part of their caseload. Whilst they are autonomous practitioners they usually work closely with physiotherapists and occupational therapists as part of multidisciplinary amputee rehabilitation teams.
Orthotists are autonomous registered practitioners who provide gait analysis and engineering solutions to patients with problems of the neuro, muscular, and skeletal systems. They are extensively trained at the undergraduate level in mechanics, biomechanics and material science along with anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology. Their qualifications make them competent to design and provide orthoses that modify the structural or functional characteristics of the patient’s neuro-muscular and skeletal systems enabling patients to mobilise, eliminate gait deviations, reduce falls, reduce pain, and prevent and facilitate healing of ulcers. They are also qualified to modify CE-marked orthoses or componentry taking responsibility for the impact of any changes. They treat patients with a wide range of conditions including diabetes, arthritis, cerebral palsy, stroke, spina bifida, scoliosis, MSK, sports injuries, and trauma. Whilst they often work as autonomous practitioners they increasingly often form part of multidisciplinary teams such as within the diabetic foot team or neuro-rehabilitation team.
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