Selecting the correct prosthetic knee or prosthetic foot makes a big difference to your quality of life. Together with your doctor, our technicians can help you choose the option that suits your lifestyle and activity levels.
Our Process for Fitting Prosthetic Feet and Prosthetic Knees
Choosing your prosthetic foot or prosthetic knee is only part of the process: before your final prosthesis can be fitted, we will work with your doctor to speed your post-surgical recovery:
- Immediate Post-Operative Prosthetic (IPOP): We provide an IPOP made of soft, comfortable materials that help protect the suture line from bumps and bruises, reduces swelling, and helps with contracture management for below the knee amputees.
- Cold Compression Therapy: We provide (and instruct you how to properly use) a cold therapy device that helps to reduce swelling and pain, lower the amount of narcotics required for pain control, and promotes faster healing.
- Peer Counseling: We will connect you with a Certified Amputee Coalition of America Counselor who can answer any questions you may have and provide support throughout your recovery process.
- IFit: We will fit you with an off-the-shelf temporary prosthesis that can have you walking in just two hours, compared to the 6-8 weeks that a traditional prosthetic takes to manufacture and fit.
Information for New Amputees
Many people undergoing an amputation may feel overwhelmed or lost. It may feel as if your life has been turned upside down. But whatever type of amputation you experience, it is important to remember that it does not change who you are as a person. By relying upon experts, including a certified prosthetist, and participating as an active member of your rehabilitation team, you may realize the ultimate goal of restoring mobility and resuming a life without limitations.
Please note that the information provided on this site should not be considered medical advice. It is only intended to help you communicate with your healthcare providers. Always seek and listen to the advice of your physician and your care team when evaluating your individual medical and prosthetic options.
Different Types of Amputation
- Residual limb: the portion of a limb remaining after an amputation.
- Transfemoral amputation: amputation through the thigh bone, between the hip and the knee, also called “above knee” or “AK.“
- Knee disarticulation: amputation through the knee joint, also called a “KD.“
- Transtibial amputation: amputation through the calf and shin bones, between the knee and the ankle, also called “below knee” or “BK.“
- Ankle disarticulation: amputation through the ankle.
- Transmetatarsal amputation: amputation through the forefoot. This may also be referred to as a Symes Amputation.
- Bilateral amputation: amputation of both legs.
Resources: From Amputation to Rehabilitation
- Prior to amputation
- Recovering from amputation surgery
- Rehabilitation
- How are Prosthetic Legs Made?
- Post Amputation Pain Management
Prosthetics Glossary of Terms
- AFO
- Ankle Foot Orthosis, a brace for the foot and ankle to provide support, reduce pain, or protect an injury.
- AK
- Above the Knee, same as TF, amputation through the thigh below the hip joint but above the knee joint.
- Arizona Brace
- A custom made gauntlet-style AFO which is usually padded and covered with leather, tightly hugging and enclosing the ankle.
- BK
- Below the Knee, same as TT, amputation through the shin below the knee joint.
- CO
- Certified Orthotist, a person educated in orthotics who has been certified to provide orthotic care by one of the overseeing professional organizations.
- CP
- Certified Prosthetist, a person educated in prosthetics who has been certified to provide prosthetic care by one of the overseeing professional organizations.
- CPO
- Certified Prosthetist-Orthotist, a person educated in prosthetics & orthotics who has been certified to provide prosthetic & orthotic care by one of the overseeing professional organizations
- Game Read
- A cold compression therapy device that helps reduce swelling and reduce discomfort/phantom pain ultimately reducing the amount of narcotics needed.
- Ifit
- A self-adjusting prosthesis that can be fit in two hours or less and give you the ability to start walking immediately.
- IPOP
- Intermediate post op prosthesis. It is used during the healing to protect the amputation site and reduce knee contractures. Typically, you do not walk with an IPOP.
- KAFO
- Knee-Ankle-Foot Orthosis, a brace which goes from above the knee down to the foot to provide support or protect an injury.
- Knee Disarticulation
- Amputation through the knee joint.
- KO
- Knee Orthosis, a brace for the knee to provide support, reduce pain, or protect an injury.
- LE
- Lower Extremity, referring to the hip, thigh, knee, ankle, or foot.
- Liner
- A cushion gel layer that goes directly against the skin on a residual limb. A liner may or may not be covered in fabric, and may have an attachment to secure a prosthesis on the limb.
- LPO
- Licensed Prosthetist-Orthotist, a prosthetist-orthotist who has been licensed by the state to provide prosthetic and orthotic care.
- LSO
- Lumbosacral Orthosis, a back brace for the lower back.
- MPK
- MicroProcessor Knee, a prosthetic knee with computer technology and sensors to make the knee respond almost instantaneously to the user’s activity.
- Orthosis
- A medical device fitted to a portion of the body in order to provide support, reduce pain, or protect an injury.
- Orthotist
- A person who evaluates patients and designs, fabricates, fits, and maintains orthotic devices to fit the patient’s needs.
- Partial Foot
- Amputation through any part of the foot, leaving the ankle joint.
- Pinlock
- A method of attaching a prosthesis to a residual limb, using a metal pin on the gel liner that clicks in to a lock built into the prosthetic socket.
- Prosthesis
- A medical device made to allow a person with limb loss regain mobility and functionality. Is custom made from a variety of materials based on the individual needs of the patient.
- Prosthetist
- A person who evaluates patients and designs, fabricates, fits, and maintains prosthetic devices to fit the patient’s needs.
- Residual Limb
- The part of a limb that remains after an amputation.
- Shrinker
- Compression sock that helps shape and reduce swelling.
- Sleeve
- An outer gel layer worn with some prostheses to attach the prosthesis or create an airtight seal.
- Sock
- Specialized socks made in certain thicknesses to wear over a gel liner inside a prosthetic socket, in order to adjust for changes in limb shape and maintain comfort in the prosthesis.
- Socket
- The part of a prosthesis which a person’s residual limb (or stump) fits into to attach the prosthesis to the body.
- Suction
- A method of attaching a prosthesis to a residual limb, using an air-tight seal and a one-way valve creating a suction cup-like force between the user and their socket.
- Suspension
- The method used to hold a prosthetic limb on the body.
- Symes
- Amputation through the ankle joint, removing all foot bones but keeping the shin bones.
- TF
- Transfemoral, same as AK, amputation through the thigh below the hip joint but above the knee.
- TT
- Transtibial, Same as BK, amputation through the shin below the knee joint.
- Vacuum
- A method of attaching a prosthesis to a residual limb, using an air-tight seal and a pump which removes air from inside the socket, creating a negative pressure which “vacuums” the prosthesis onto the user’s limb.
