Carol’s new socket saved her from surgery! -

Carol’s new socket saved her from surgery!

Posted on August 1, 2022 by admin

After many years of living with pain and limited mobility, Carol came to George for a second opinion.

George and Carol first met in May of 2021. She lives with Bilateral Congenital Symes Amputations and was experiencing significant knee pain. Doctors were recommending bilateral knee replacement surgery to possibly ease her pain and she was hesitant.

Read Carol’s Interview

A New Socket Solution!

George observed that Carol’s pain was exacerbated by the alignment of her Symes prosthesis and the knee flexion contractures she had developed. The construction of a new socket with the correct alignment enabled Carol to have her foot flat on the ground. She now had added stability while ambulating, and helped relieve a lot of the pain at her knees. Over approximately 10 appointments with George that included measurements, adaptations and adjustments, she was satisfied with the fit and function and was able to take her prostheses home.

It took her whole life to find the help she needed.

Congenital amputees are one of the most difficult population of patients to work with. A prosthetist needs the experience to recognize that the anatomy in regard to bone structure, nerve innervation, muscular presence and function is often abnormal. As lifelong amputees, congenital patients are very tuned in to how they feel their prosthesis should function, and it is our job to help them reach those goals with the proper device.