Western Mass. labs helps connect amputees with state-of-the-art prosthetics Duncan MacLean — WWLP

22News takes a look at the technological advancements in prosthetics and how they can enhance your life as an amputee.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A local prosthetics lab held an annual event Thursday meant to connect amputees to new state-of-the-art technology that can have huge impacts on their quality of life.

Life-restoring technology is on display at Orthotics and Prosthetics Labs Inc. in Springfield as they welcome patients for a trial day on new micro-processing prosthetics. Gyroscopes and sensors in these high-tech knees and ankles take readings every five mili-seconds and make adjustments to give users more control, stability, strength, and even endurance.

“It’s amazing. It warms my heart. We can provide them the tools to be able to get their lives back,” said Missy Beausoleil, Certified Prosthetist and Orthotist, at OPS labs.

For amputees like Joe, who is upgrading from another micro-processing knee the effect is two-fol, liberating his active lifestyle, and reducing the risk of accidents at home, “When I had my hydro-mechanical knee, I was falling about once a month. With the microprocessor knee, I fall maybe a few times a year.”

Unfortunately, access to this kind of life-changing technology isn’t always up to patients and their healthcare providers. Amputees have to qualify for these kinds of high-tech prosthetics which often involves a battle with insurance.

“I think the first layer of defense is not for insurance companies. It has been a constant battle for amputees to get the right approval even through prosthetic componentry is a covered benefit under their insurance program… but when it comes to higher technology that’s obviously a higher cost, so you really have to prove the patient is going to benefit from that activity,” Jeff Quelet. Clinical Prosthetist for Proteor told 22News.

In practice, that means that amputees who score higher on mobility metrics without advanced prosthetics are more often approved while those who score lower are denied and left behind and try to improve their baseline with lower-tech options.

If you are interested in exploring or testing out one of these advanced prosthetics, the Orthotics and Prosthetics Labs is always taking new patients and has locations in Springfield, Northampton, and Pittsfield.

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