At our Mediprax prosthetics and orthotics clinic in Puebla, we design and manufacture different orthopedic items depending on the needs of each patient.
We have articles manufactured with the highest technology that improve the comfort and well-being of the patient, which is why we will talk about the main differences between prostheses and orthoses .
Prostheses fully replace an amputated or missing limb from the human body to be used as support when performing certain joints and movements, while orthoses are characterized by not replacing any part of the body, but rather are used as external support to correct, unload , align, limbs in the musculoskeletal system.
In which cases is it necessary to use orthotics and prosthetics?
Wearing an orthosis
Before making a decision to wear an orthosis , an evaluation must be carried out by a specialist to make a complete diagnosis and correct treatment.
Orthoses are placed when it comes to correcting a posture due to a fracture, or injury, or even due to suffering from congenital pathologies or malformations due to high-performance activities .
Types of orthoses
The types of orthoses are divided according to the segment to be treated:
Upper Limb Orthoses
They have a primary objective to improve the function of the fingers, hand, arm and forearm , as in cases of myopathies where contractures are generated leading to a flexor pattern in the upper extremity.
These are classified into:
- immobilization orthosis
- functional orthoses
Lower Limb Orthoses
Lower limb orthoses have the objective of preserving a certain position of a lower extremity, that is, of the foot, ankle or leg , and these are classified as:
- ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) for night wear
- Long lightweight orthoses covering roller-ankle-foot for day use
Use of a prosthesis
For the use of a prosthetic device, there must be a prior evaluation by a specialist, since there are several factors such as the scale of mobility, components and materials that will determine its use, it all depends on the needs of each person.
There are prostheses that are used when the bones and joints wear out from the inside and there are also prostheses that completely replace limbs that have suffered amputations .
At Mediprax Mexico we specialize in the design and manufacture of prostheses for a person who has suffered a traumatic amputation , that is, doctors have had to remove a limb from their body due to chronic complications or due to an accident or injury.
Types of Prosthesis according to the level of amputation .
The prostheses depend on the area of the body where the amputation has been performed , from men towards the fingers of the hands it is called the upper limb and from the hip towards the toes it is called the lower limbs.
Upper Limb Prosthesis :
- Fingers of the hand.
- Partial hand amputation.
- Transcarpal/carpal amputation.
- Disarticulation of the hand.
- Transradial amputation (below-elbow amputation).
- Transhumeral amputation (amputation above the elbow).
- Shoulder disarticulation and interscapulothoracic amputation.
Lower Limb Prostheses:
- Toes.
- Part of the foot
- Ankle disarticulation or Syme’s.
- transtibial.
- Knee disarticulation.
- Transfemoral.
- Hip disarticulation.
- Hemipelvectomy.